


They walk in Starlight

by iscatterthemintimeandspace



Series: Starlight [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Masturbation, Multi, Pregnancy Kink, Pregnant Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-16
Updated: 2014-03-17
Packaged: 2018-01-08 23:00:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1138460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iscatterthemintimeandspace/pseuds/iscatterthemintimeandspace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Kili is cured by Tauriel, They share something special. </p><p>(Written Pre-BOTFA)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moonlight

Kili awoke with the moonlight filtering through the windows of the Bowman’s house. The past few days blurred together in his mind and he only remembered bits and pieces. Escaping from the Elfking’s stronghold. The Barrel ride. Laketown. Thorin leaving him, Fili, Oin and Bofur behind. Being shot in the leg by a Morgul arrow. His fingers scrambled down his leg, feeling for the sharp stabs of pain that had accompanied the wound, but he could find none. The young dwarf sat straight up and threw the blankets off. His trousers were gone and his leg was dressed in clean linen. Who had undressed him? Kili looked around wildly , taking in his unfamiliar surroundings. Even though it had been cleaned, the room still bore the marks of chaos. A voice roused him from his observation. 

“You’re awake” said Tauriel lightly. The elf had been dozing in a chair at the foot of the bed. Kili straightened and smiled at her. 

“Couldn’t help yourself” he grinned “Had to see what I had in my trousers”. 

She didn’t say a word, only moved her chair closer to him. Tauriel leaned delicately over and put her hands on the dwarf’s leg. 

“Oi!” Kili complained, pitching back in bed “Cold hands” He covered his legs back up with the blankets. 

The guard smiled, rubbing her hands together to warm them. “You are a child. I need to see how it’s healing”. She cautioned “Come closer, they’re warm now” 

“Healing, my beard” The archer quipped “Another excuse to get your hands on me”. 

Tauriel quirked and eyebrow at him. Shaking her head to herself, she gently unwrapped the bandage. 

The wound was red but seemed to be healing. It had closed a great deal since she’d applied the kingsfoil. All the morgul poison had leeched out of his flesh. 

While Tauriel was focused on examining his wound, Kili was focusing on her hands. They were warm and calloused from archery. Her fingers were long, gentle and tapered. She was so close he could smell her and feel her breath on him. The young dwarf could feel his heartbeat speed up as the elf touched his thigh. Other parts of his body began to stir as well. 

No no no he thought to himself. Now was not the time for this. He tried to think of things other than the attractive female touching him. 'Bombur', he thought conjuring up a picture of the fat dwarf in his head.' Bifur, Bofur, Bombur'. He mentally recited the names of the company. 'Bilbo, Gandalf. Thorin'. He exhaled heavily, stirringly the elf’s hair. 

She looked up. “Are you alright, Master Dwarf?" She searched his face. She knew dwarves could be stoic and would mask their pain. Kili's face colored. 

"F-fine" he said, struggling to control his breathing. He swallowed thickly as Tauriel went back to her work. It was getting harder and harder to concentrate for the young dwarf as her slender fingers edged higher and higher up his leg. 

'Ori. Dori. Nori'. He growled at himself, thinking of each of his companions in turn. Her fingers skimmed his cock. 'Shit'. He clutched the blankets at his side.. 'Oin, Gloin. Groin Shit'. His mind once again wandered to Tauriel's ministrations. 'Shit'.

Tauriel knew her touchs were affecting the dwarf as she examined his wounds. She touched him that way on purpose. The elf had been intrigued by Kili from the moment she met him. She touched the wound lightly. "Is there any pain?"

"N-n-no" Kili hissed through clenched teeth. He was fighting a losing battle with himself. Her finger rubbed the side of his member again. It was almost if she was doing it deliberately. Rebelling against his wishes, his rogue flesh filled and rose. Kili dropped his head, hoping by some stretch that she would not notice his errant body parts.  
The elf had examined the dwarf’s wound to her satisfaction. She had begun to crush the kingsfoil when she noticed Kili’s red face and then the source of his embarrassment. Tauriel was no stranger to the anatomy of men. She was after all the Capitan of the guards and skilled at elven medicine. She had seen plenty, but she was not prepared for the size of his member. The red-head blushed lightly as she attempted to stay focused on her work. 

Shit shit shit, Kili exhaled harshly, willing his erection to go away when he noticed the elf’s red cheeks. She had noticed. He followed her eyes as she raked his flesh, her hands ghosting over his overheated skin. She was touching him like this on purpose. He realized suddenly. The becoming flush that overcame her features had spread to her delicately pointed ears. The young dwarf had always had an obsession with elves. His brother Fili was the only one who ever knew as any perceived feelings except hatred towards elves would not be taken lightly by their uncle. 

Without realizing it, Kili reached out and ran his fingers along the edge of Tauriel’s ear. She stopped her work and looked up at the dark haired dwarf, her hands trembling slightly. 'You may as well'. He chided himself. The archer leaned forward and captured the elf’s lips with his own.


	2. Starlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kili and Tauriel give in.

To his surprise, the red-head starting kissing him back. Her hands snaked up his torso and landed, caressing his cheeks and ears. Kili responded in kind, running his rough fingers through her hair.  
'It feels like silk ' he thought, remembering his mother’s one good dress. 

Their lips and tongues fought and parried to keep control of their embrace. Tauriel slipped onto the bed fluidly, allowing the dwarf beside her greater purchase to her body, an opportunity he quickly took advantage of. His hand slipped from her hair to her collar bone and finally her breast. Kili cupped it, feeling it’s warm weight in his hand. He ran his finger lightly over the cloth covered nipple, enjoying the ripples that passed through her body when he did it. Meanwhile the young elf was making quick work of what remained of Kili’s clothing. She broke their kiss for a moment only to yank the shirt over the dwarf’s head, tossing it to the side. 

“This hardly seems fair” Kili mumbled cheekily. “You seem to have all your clothes while mysteriously lost all of mine." He grinned wildly as he leaned in to kiss her again. 

“You can remedy that” She quipped back, threading her fingers in the dark patch of hair on his chest. She was not used to men with hair. Her only other partners had been elves, who didn’t have any hair save the hair on their heads. It fascinated her. 

The archer sucked on her bottom lip hard, undoing her buttons with skill. She had taken majority of her stiff clothes off before dozing off. He opened her shirt and ran his fingers lightly up her torso, causing her to shiver. 

Without warning, Kili pushed Tauriel onto her back, kissing a trail from her down her neck down to her chest. He took a nipple in his mouth, swirling roughly with his tongue. The noise the elf made under him when straight to his groin, growing him even bigger. His other hand inched her trousers down her hips. 

Tauriel could not think straight with the dwarf’s mouth lapping his affection on her. Blood pounded in her ears and rushed directly down, throbbing with the beating of her quickening heart. She held her breath as his kisses trailed lower, her pants preceding their descent. His tongue dipped into her naval before daringly diverting to her pubic mound.

KIli inhaled greedily, peppering the elf’s flesh with tiny kisses before diving in for his fill. He licked her folds lightly, smirking at each moan and cry he pulled from her lips. He quickly found her little bead of pleasure and latched the end of his tongue around it. Underneath him, Tauriel sucked in breath harshly. He flicked it back and forth, determined to bring her to completion. The red-head knew her end was coming and rode the wave in full, her knees quaking. 

The young dwarf came up for breath and held his partner close until she stopped shaking. He kissed her nose gently, pulling her against his warm chest. The elf blinked lightly, returning his kisses with her own, increasing their fervor with every additional kiss. She dragged her nails lightly up his naked torso, sending chills down in little rivlets all over his skin. Her slender fingers raked his scalp and threaded through his hair. 

“Your hair is so soft” She murmured, between kisses “It’s not what I expected”. The elf twisted his dark hair around her index finger  


“I don’t know whether to find that insulting or not“. He replied with a smile in his voice. “We do wash… occasionally”. Tauriel smiled, bringing herself up on to her elbows, curtains of her own hair falling lankly onto Kili’s chest. 

“You’re nothing like I expected” She put in quickly, so softly he wasn’t sure he heard her correctly. None of the dwarves she’d met were anything like she’d been told. When Smaug took over the mountain and burned Dale to the ground, She’d been one of the elves who had stayed and had been forbidden by her king to leave Mirkwood. All she had were the tales of the Elven King and the venom of his son. She wasn’t sure she’d been right to trust them. 

Kili kissed her full on the mouth, drawing her away from her thoughts of the haughty Thraunduil. She wasn’t what he had expected either. He would have never believed when he left Ered Luin with his uncle that he’d be lying in bed with an elf-maiden. She kissed him back roughly, hungry for more. Using her elbows, the redhead pushed herself up and swung her leg over him, allowing him to see her in her full glory for the first time. 

“I should have checked your trousers in Mirkwood.” Tauriel smirked, wrapping her hands around his cock, rolling his foreskin gently back over the head. The dwarf beneath her moaned loudly. She pushed her hips forward, positioning herself over him. 

Impatiently, Kili thrust forward, impaling her with the tip on his member. She gasped suddenly, caught unaware by his assault. 

“You are going to pay for that” She whispered, steadying herself with her hands splayed across his firm abdomen. 

“Promise?” he drawled, wiggling his hips so she slid farther down his shaft. The elf arches her hips, slowly engulfing him. Peevishly, The young dwarf grasped her waist violently and brought her down on him hard. She cried out loudly, feeling stretched and deliciously full. Quirking an eyebrow out him, she gave him what he wanted and started riding him mercilessly. He knew that if she kept at it at her breakneck pace, he’d come quickly. Her gasps were driving him mad, sending a jolt though him every time one tore from her lips. The brunette couldn’t contain himself and soon his moans filled the air as well. 

 

Fili of the line of Durin awoke amidst a cacophony of noise. Muffled as it was, he knew it was coming from the other bedroom down the hall from his. Taking his throwing axes from his boots on the floor, he crept in stocking feet out of his room and down the hall. The blonde tiptoed along the wall trying desperately not to creek the wooden floor of the Bowman’s house. The door of his brother’s room was slightly ajar and he got as close as he could without letting the rooms occupants know he was there. He let his weapons fall to his sides as he looked on in confusion. 

The red-headed elf-wench that had saved Kili’s life was straddling his brother and riding him with abandon. His little brother was beneath her, moaning and grasping her hips for dear life, oblivious to the fact his elder brother was standing, armed, just outside the door. 

 

Kili felt his orgasm approaching quickly, and countered Tauriel’s thrusts with his own. She moaned even louder when the dwarf prince hit the lovely spot inside her and once against sent her spinning over the edge. Her inner walls clasped and pulled, gripped him tightly. Kili’s eyes rolled back in his head as he came, her inner cavern milking him completely dry. Sweaty and exhausted, he pulled the guard’s captain against him , kissing her lovingly on the head.


	3. Daylight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter. They will get longer I promise!
> 
> EDIT 1/23/2014 - because of the feedback of some readers, I added to this Chapter. Just be aware there is a time jump where the " ______" marks are.

" I need to return to the forest at dawn" The elf said suddenly a while after, her voice sounding hoarse. She snuggled closer to Kili, content in his warm embrace.  
"Do you have to?" He said, inhaling the scent of her loosened hair.  
Tauriel laughed "Yes, my prince, I do have an occupation besides chasing reckless dwarves over hill and dale" she replied saucily. She was dreading having to return to Mirkwood and Legolas's piercing eyes. Her king would certainly want to know where she had been these last few days. Legolas could only cover for her for so long.

The dwarf frowned, his stomach turning to icicles. " How will we see each other?" He whispered, hooking his finger under her chin and looking directly into her eyes. 

The guard's captain hesitated. How would they see each other? Neither of them were free to go running off. If his kin regained the Lonely Mountain, Kili would be a Prince, and required to help with the daily runnings of a kingdom. She also had a job to do as she had reminded him. "I suppose we'll figure something out".

"We could write letters until everything quiets down a little" He suggested hopefully. “We’ll pass them through the Bowman. His trade root runs between the forest and Erebor". He began to rattle off other ways they could meet secretly.

Outside the door, Fili felt his heart sink down deep in his stomach. His mind was already formulating a plan to stop them. He hated to break his brother’s heart, but he had to protect him, even if it was from himself. Kili was bewitched by the maid, she was the enemy, untrustworthy and cunning. He could not let his brother fall any farther into her trap. They had come too far.

The morning caught Tauriel unaware. She had meant to get up earlier and retrieve her clothes, but after talking all night to her partner, she could not make herself leave his embrace. She began dressing in the pale morning light, noting with amusement the hand shaped bruises that now adorned her torso. As she smoothed her rumpled clothing, a whistle from outside attracted her attention. Legolas. Hastily, the red-headed kissed the still sleeping prince gently and grabbing her belongings, exited the bowman’s home, oblivious to the fact she was being watched by two sets of blue eyes.

_______________________________________________________________

 

 

A dark figure crept down the stone halls of Erebor, trying in vain to avoid prying eyes. The soft pads of his feet barely echoed in the high vaulted ceilings of his home. Kili of Durin strode silently in his house, down to the base of the mountain where the dispatches to the king were recieved. 

He had done the same dance every day for the last couple weeks, hoping for a return on the latest letter he had sent to Tauriel. The archer had sent her word as soon as he was able, but still no letter came. He sent numerous letters, hoping the first had been somehow lost. The dwarf was acutely aware of the possibility she had already forgotten him. The thought chilled his blood and made and uncomfortable feeling rise in his stomach. 

What the prince was not aware of was that a set of eyes followed him, carefully hidden so as not to be seen. His older brother Fili shadowed him down the dimly lit corridor. He ducked swiftly behind a pillar to avoid being detected as the brunette stole softly down the stair and into the room of the Kings Messengers. 

As much as it broke his heart to deny him, Fili had made sure that none of the she- elf's letters would reach Kili. He was deeply distrustful of the woodland folk and as grateful as he was to her for saving the younger dwarf's life, he could not bring himself to trust Tauriel. 

Down below , the blonde could hear his brother's voice rise in anger and frustration. He heard him stomping up the stairs loudly, pretense of silence forgotten. The brunette swore in the foulest words he knew and furiously punched a stone column, the impact echoing loudly. 

Kili rubbed his fist roughly and scrubbed his face, trying to stop the tears from falling from his brimming eyes. There was no letter for him and at the moment he doubted there ever would be. It had been months since he had last seen her. 'She's already forgotten me' he thought, angrily, pressing his forehead to the cool stone of the column. 'Like with everything else, I'm just not good enough'. He pounded the column with his fist again, allowing the warm tears to spill onto his cheeks. 

Tauriel was the first woman of any race whom he could say he cared for. He had had plenty of partners amount dwarves and men but they had only been for fun, or release. He'd been a fool to think an elf could love him. 'Stupid. Idiot. Beardless bastard' he chanted to himself, knocking his dark head gently on the column and sliding down onto the floor. 

As if on cue, his brother strode down the corridor, looking rather cheerful. He frowned when he saw the younger dwarf's tear-stained face. 

"Brother mine, what is wrong? " Fili questioned, hoping his voice wouldn't give him away. 

"Nothing, Fee" Kili answered sullenly from the floor. He did not want Fili to know he'd been crying over a woman. 

"Nothing? Why are you on the floor then? Why are your eyes red? You can't hide anything from me, Kee" The blonde replied, helping his brother from the ground. 

Kili self- consciously moped his face, trying to erase the betrayal he felt from it. The she-elf had probably taken up with the haughty elven princeling they'd seen with her when they escaped Mirkwood. He'd been a lovesick blind fool. 

"I think I need a drink, brother." He said, grabbing Fili's hand tightly, never knowing his own brother was the betrayer. 

 

 

******************

The forest of Mirkwood was unusually quiet. It made Tauriel uneasy, as she glided soundlessly over the dappled path. Her bow was light in her palm, her free hand poised to grab an arrow from her quiver. The elf was perched like a shadow on the root of a large tree , her eyes scanning for threats. It would seem they had cleared the spiders from the forest yet again, but she knew in time they would be back. 

The red head heard her companions quietly behind her and as she turned to look, she was felled by a wave of dizziness. It caught her unaware and she grasped the tree trunk for support. 

"Mellon, are you alright?" Intoned Legolas from her side. The blonde looked worried for her, she hadn't been well as of late. 

"I-I -I am fine" she muttered, taking deep, gulping breathes. Her stomach turned, waves of nausea rolling over her. The she elf opened her mouth to talk again and retched, doubled over into the leaves below. 

Her head swam as she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the forest floor. It had been like this for weeks. At first, the red head thought it was from the stress of being stripped of her title and humiliated, but it continued. Nausea and vertigo constantly threatened to overwhelm her, especially during the time of her morning patrols. She had been perpetually fatigued and could barely eat because smells she usually found appealing suddenly put her off her appetite. 

Legolas loomed over her, his blue eyes furrowed with worry. 

"Let me help you to your chambers" he offered, proffering his hand and pulling her from the ground. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment and she struggled to keep herself upright. Wordlessly, she accepted his offer and allowed herself to be guided to her room like a child. 

Once safely in her chambers , Tauriel began undressing with shaky fingers. She winced as her hands came into contact with her tender breasts. They ached more often than not and she dreaded putting on her stiff leather corset each day. Rubbing them gently with her palms, she crossed the room to grab the long green gowns she normally wore in her chambers. As the she-elf did up her gown, she noticed something strange. The garment, which was normally a little loose was tight around her midsection. She ran her hands over her stomach tentatively, noting that there was extra girth where there used to be none.

 

Her eyes widened as she examined herself . Mentally, she did a quick check of that last time she had her moon's blood and realized to her alarm, she had not had it since she had returned from Lake-town. The classic signs ticked off in her mind ' Dizziness. Nausea. Fatigue. Swollen breasts' The elf swallowed thickly, sliding gracelessly into her chair. She was definitely pregnant. With the prince of Erebor's child. 

 

Tears bubbled from her eyes as she came to realize the enormity of her situation. She was with child, the child of a dwarf who hadn't had the decency to write to her after their encounter. She had not received one letter from him since he had returned to Erebor. She had thought it would take him a month or so to get settled enough to write, but she had truly expected him to write. Not one letter made it's way into her hands. The elf looked at the unfinished letter on her table, one of many and curled her arms around her head. She let the tears come, hot and salty down her cheeks, unable to keep her emotions in check anymore. The humiliation, betrayal and stress she had felt the last couple months were finally too much for her to bear.

 

' I have been a dolt' the elf thought though her tears. 'I should have known what he wanted. He is no different than any other male'. She sniffed, anger coursing hot and fast through her veins. Grabbing the first thing within arm's reach, a goblet full of wine, she threw it furiously against the wall, splashing the deep red liquid everywhere. 

 

Tauriel looked down at the letter again, speckled with her tears and clutched her quill roughly. 'I am pregnant', she wrote out and pausing, crumbled the letter and threw it across the room. 

 





 

 



 






	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I played with the timeline a bit this chapter. Instead of Smaug coming the same day, he comes a day later. 
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter takes place several months after the Battle of Five Armies. Thorin, Fili and Kili all survive and are rebuilding Erebor. 
> 
> ( I've read the book several times. This is purely in the movie-verse)
> 
> EDIT: 1/24/2014- The chapter was edited for a little more angst at the suggestions of a reader. keep the suggestions coming!  
> EDIT: 1/31/2014

Loud knocks echoed through the stone halls of Erebor. It was a sound that many of the residents were used to. Their Crown Prince and Heir to the throne was knocking loudly on his brother's door.

"Kili!, You need to come out sometime" Fili shouted angrily. His brother was nursing a broken heart after not hearing from the elf-maiden for some months and refused to come out of his room. "Brother, I swear if you do not open this door, I will get my axe". He pressed his ear against the heavy wooden door. There was shuffling and he heard the bolt slide. The blonde quickly slid into the room lest his brother change his mind. "You can't keep doing this, Kee" he said.

"Says who?" replied his brother, picking up his fiddle from the chair where he had left it. A sad tune emanated from it as the brunette turn his back on his sibling. He didn't feel like venturing out of the stone walls of their kingdom. He was perfectly fine with his fiddle and solitude but no one seemed to agree with him.

" I do. We're going out today. You and me. We have a meeting with King Bard by orders of Thorin". Fili had grown tired of his brother's moping. He was worried about him and knew getting out in the fresh air would do him good. His brother groaned and threw himself on his bed theatrically. “Get up" the blonde needled.

" No" Kili responded simply, his voice muffled by fat feather pillows. Unbeknownst to the archer, his elder brother was backing up and took a flying leap onto his prone form. There was scuffling and yelling but eventually both princes emerged, whole but looking distinctly bedraggled. They headed to the stables, still grumbling to saddle up.  
They arrived in Dale by mid-morning. The town was still heavily damaged, but the gold from Smaug’s hoard was slowly refurbishing the once bustling city. The steady hoofbeats alerted the king to their presence. Bard, the King of Dale was shirtless and sweaty, helping his subjects rebuild their home. He was a man used to hard work. Smiling, he beckoned them into the makeshift hovel he used for his political negotiations.  
“Fili and Kili, of Durin, At your service” The brother greeted the king, sliding off their horse and accepting mugs of dark, frothy beer from his advisor. Fili reached into his bag as they sat down and pulled out a long scroll from Thorin. It was a trade agreement between the dwarves and city of Dale. The parties settled in for a long arbitration. 

“Have you had any trouble with Orcs recently? What have you in way of guards” Kili asked, gulping down yet another mug of beer. Negotiations always made him thirsty and it had been awhile since He’d been good and drunk. The Bowman leaned back on his chair slightly.  
“We haven’t seen hide nor hair of orc or goblin since the battle. As for security, I’ve hired one of the best” He smirked much to the confusion of the dwarves in front of him. 

“The best?” Fili challenged, leaning hard on his elbows. “Who is he?” The blond was curious to who Bard had procured on such short notice. It had only been a couple months since they regained Erebor and even with the dragon gone, He could not see people jumping at the job. 

Bard motioned to his Advisor. “Please bring the Captain to me at once”. The man exited the house quickly to attend to his job. 

“Gentlemen, May I present my Captain of the Guards. Tauriel.” The red-head stepped gracefully into the house, clearly not knowing what she was in for “I believe you know each other”.  
For a moment, Kili thought his heart would pound out of his chest. From the look in her eyes, she was clearly as surprised by this as he was. He looked quickly to his brother, who had a guilty look on his face that made the dwarf shudder inside. 

For a moment, no one spoke. Tauriel regained her voice first “At your services, Your majesties” She bowed as lowly as she was able in her condition, Her throat growing thick and making her unable to swallow. 

Kili’s eyes raked his former lover mercilessly. Her long hair was drawn back in a simple plait, not the normal elaborate braids of her people. He could feel Fili’s eyes boring into him as he noticed her round stomach. His insides felt like ice as he came to one stunning realization. 'She’s pregnant'. 

Fili shifted uncomfortably in his chair as the guard captain entered. The enormity of his actions against the both of them rumbled uncomfortably inside of him. The she-elf was visibly with child and he felt ill. He had been keeping their letters from each other, burning them without reading them as a way to protect his brother from her. 

“I-If I may be excused, my l-lord” The normally calm elf stuttered, eager to get away from the uncomfortable situation. The Bowman nodded as she turned to leave the room. 

“May I be excused as well? I have other business to attend to” Kili asked rapidly, sudden anger boiling in his stomach. She had played with his heart, ignoring his letters and clearly taking up with someone else after her departure. His jealousy surged, hot and thick under his skin. The archer raced out the door after her without another word. 

Tauriel ducked through doors and hallways, feeling his anger trailing behind her. She did not relish facing the young prince’s wrath. The she- elf zig-zagged across the crowded inner court yard quickly, casting worried looks over her shoulders. If she could make it to the stables, she would be free. Unfortunately for her, the red-head was not so lucky. As she opened the wooden door, she met the furious eyes of one of Durin’s sons. 

Kili could not remember the last time he felt so angry and humiliated. The elf had toyed with him and that he could not abide by. “Who is he?” He accused wildly, grabbing her arm violently and dragging the unwilling girl closer to him. 

“Who is who?” She snapped at him, pulling her limb roughly from his grasp. Tauriel could see the fury radiating off the dwarf in overpowering waves. 

“The one who got you in the family way. Was is that pompous blond peacock? How long did you wait after I was gone? After promising to return my letters?” He screamed, unable to control himself. The archer sucked in breath harshly, his outburst fueled by the alcohol he had consumed. 

"Who, pray tell, do you think you are talking to?" The red-head shrieked, stepping back from him . " I am not one of your subjects, Master Dwarf" She grabbed the closest item to her, a horse brush and threw it at him, hitting him square in the chest. She was fed up with being the only one to blame for her condition. The stress and heartbreak of the last few months boiled over and the elf began throwing everything within her reach at him, causing the young dwarf to duck for cover to avoid being knocked senseless. 

" I lost my job. I lost my home for helping and loving you and You have the gall to stand there and accuse me!?" The red-head continued yelling, her throat scrapping raw from the effort. He was the one who hadn’t returned her letters, not so much as one. “It was you, you brainless dwarf. No one else but you”. The she-elf screamed, not caring if the whole town heard her. “I did write you letters. Dozens of letters. It was you who never returned them. I told you about this and about my exile from the forest. You never answered me”. She argued loudly, feeling tears gather in her eyes. Her hands found their way to her mid-section as the child inside her moved in rhythm with her fury. "It was you who abandoned me, Your Highness" She spat, using his title as a insult. " I lost everything that I held dear for a selfish, spoiled princeling who could not be bothered to keep his promises". Her mind was in overdrive, thinking furiously over all the careful plans she had struggled to lay in his absence. "The King banished me forever, you bastard" Her voice cracked, strained from overuse. Finally she had exhausted her arsenal of projectiles, nothing remained for her to throw at him.

When the redhead had been driven from her home, She had spend long hours rewriting the rest of her eternity. She was young by elven standards and a life roaming like a vagabond did not seem like a realistic option, especially when she had her child. The other elven settlements were not an option as questions about why Thranduil had thrown out one of his own would certainly be raised. Elves normally did not leave their realms. She had wracked her brain for suitable options. She knew the realms of men could be harsh and distrustful of those unlike them and the she-elf could not bear to expose her offspring to their cruelty. In her condition, she couldn't afford a long journey as it would become harder and harder to defend herself the more unwieldy her body became. Finally the solution had dawned on her, Dale. Dale had been a booming city in it's heyday, home to all races of beings in Middle Earth. Surely the new king would need help rebuilding his kingdom, the growing city would need protection and her skills would be put to good use.

Creeping out from behind the stall, Kili felt the anger start to drain from him as a sudden recognition came upon him: He was going to be a father. Images swam before his eyes, sturdy little dwarflings, troublesome and wild like he and Fili had been in their youth. He had never thought he would be a father, much less at the same time as his elder sibling. The blond had been married soon after they reclaimed Erebor as was proper for the Heir of Durin. His wife, a dwarrowdam from the Iron Hills, was some months along in her pregnancy. He was momentarily stunned by her accusations. " I wrote, Tauriel, I swear to Mahal, I received not a word in all that time". The dwarf timidly walked closer to the agitated elf. She was breathing raggedly, her hair in disarray, clearly spent from her furious diatribe. "Would you not have found another way to tell me?" The archer asked pointedly, " Would you have kept me from my child?"

The elf looked down angrily into his handsome features "What would you have me do, My lord?" She sneered cruelly, rubbing her arm where he had grabbed her. "Come begging with your bastard in tow? I doubt your family would be pleased to know their prince had sired a child on an elf” . A traitorous tear leaked down her cheek before she could catch it. Tauriel hated what this pregnancy was doing to her. She burst into tears at the slightest provocation.

Kili markedly flinched at the word bastard. He had heard it used against him too many times as a child, born so far after his father's death. It was not a word he liked hearing in relation to a child of his. "I never stopped writing" The dwarf said quietly. "Even after I had lost hope" 

“I did as well" She whispered, her voice gone from her yelling. “Even when I was exiled and came to Dale" The red-head could feel the child inside her moving rapidly, as if sensing the irritation of its mother. "Did you entrust it to anyone?"

Searching his memory, he tried to recall how other parcels came to Erebor. One name crept across his mind, much to his dread. 'Fili'. His brother as the heir often got important dispatches. His brother had been there the night he and Tauriel made their pact. It was indeed possible that he had heard them. Kili flushed red at the thought of his brother eavesdropping on their love-making. He must have known.

“Only my brother”

 

 

Muttering apologetic words to Bard, Fili tried to follow his angry brother across Dale. He knew Kili's temper could get away from him when he was distressed. The blond tracked the sound of their yelling across the wide green courtyard and down to the stables. Quickening his pace, he heard the she-elf's tearful words. He knew what effect that word would have on his brother. He could hear them drop their voices suddenly and decided quickly to wait until his brother exited. 

After a lengthy discussion, Kili rose to leave. He needed talk to his brother as soon as he was able. "May I meet you again tomorrow? We have still much to discuss" He said calmly, veiling his fury. The elf-maiden nodded quickly, regaining her composure. The days events had left her agitated and exhausted and she longed for the comfort of her bed. "With your leave, my lady?" He took her hand in his own and kissed it gently. “I will deal with my brother".

Outside the stable, smoking his pipe, Fili was shaken by the tone of his brother's voice. He knows. He thought. Kili gathered their ponies from the stables and led them out, bowing again to the elf. He threw the reigns roughly at the blond, his jaw set stubbornly.

Not a word was said as they returned home.

Tension was thick as the two brothers came to Erebor. It was unusual for them to remain quiet in each other’s presence for so long. Even with Fili’s marriage, the two brothers were neigh inseparable. They dismounted and handed the reins to waiting attendants. 

“Kili….?” The blond approached his brother, laying his hand gently on his shoulder. The brunette immediately shook it off. 

“Leave me, brother. I have no wish to see you” He turned to head towards the door, but Fili cut him off. 

“I didn’t know, Kee. I swear to yo-“ 

“You shouldn’t have interfered!” The younger dwarf snapped. His anger flared again, boiling over suddenly. “You would deprive me of my child”. 

“I was trying to protect you” Fili beseeched. The blonde’s eyes pleaded with his brother to see reason

“From who? If you’ve forgotten, Tauriel saved my life. More than once” Kili shouted, advancing on Fili. 

“She’s an elf. She’s the enemy” The older dwarf retorted, retreating slightly, but still blocking his brother’s route to the mountain. 

“Move Fee” Kili said, trying to shove his brother out of his way. He just wanted to get inside, to retreat to the solitude of his chambers. The shock of the afternoon was wearing his patience thin. 

“No, Kee. I will not. We need to talk” Fili insisted, grabbing his brother around his shoulders. Kili responded by violently attempting to throw the blonde to the ground. The older dwarf kicked the brunette’s legs out as he hit ground. He quickly pinned his brother under him, effectively rendering him unable to fight back.

Kili growled and struggled but was unable to get free. Fili held on tight , knowing his brother would quiet soon as he tired himself out. The younger dwarf soon stopped moving, but as his brother relaxed his hold, the younger thrust up suddenly with his hips, forcing the blonde off of him. He swung his leg over Fili and returned the favor by trapping his arms at his sides. Taking advantage of his brother’s position, Kili punched his brother hard, in his face and sprung up, barreling towards the entrance of the mountain. 

Laying in the grass, Fili sighed as he checked his nose and cheeks for breaks. In his chambers, Kili flopped on to his bed unceremoniously. 'What have I gotten myself into?'


	5. Chapter 5

Lady Dis was no stranger to injuries. She had cared for the ills of her family since she was old enough to stand still. Even though her boys were grown, it still made her uneasy to see them in pain, especially when they weren't in any danger.

So when her oldest son came back from his negotiations with a black eye, she was distressed

"What happened, my darling?" she asked, attempting to check Fili's face for other hidden damage.

He lightly shrugged her off " I'm fine, Mother" He admired the dark bruised in the mirror. It wasn't too bad, it would be gone within a day or two.

" Nothing? It's not nothing. Who gave you that mark?" She pushed. Anyone who laid a finger on her son would have to deal with her.

The blonde chuckled "If you must know, Kili punched me before we came home. He's angry with me" He sighed. Kili had every right to be furious with him, but it still hurt the same. The brother had not fought in recent years and he had forgotten what it was like to hurt someone you loved more than yourself.

Dis shook her head. It pained her to see her sons not get along. "He'll forgive you soon enough" She attempted to console him, but the the blonde shook his head sadly

" I do not think he will this time, Mother"

 

  
Kili was all but asleep when his mother knocked on his door. He always knew it was her by the pattern of her knocking. The dwarrowdam opened the door slowly and sat down on his bed next to him.

"How did the trade negotiations go today?" She asked him, lovingly smoothing his hair. No matter how old he was, something about his mother's hands on his head made him calm.

"It went fine, Mother. The King agreed to almost every one of Uncle's terms" He pulled his face out of his pillows and looked up at her.

She looked down at her son. " What has your brother done to make you so angry, my love ?". The young dwarf swallowed thickly. He didn't want to tell her what had transpired that afternoon. Kili sat up , throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He couldn't lie to her, she always knew so he decided quickly to just come out with it.

" There is a woman. A woman who saved my life a multitude of times. Fili does not trust her and as a result, he intercepted our letters. She is - She is with child" He stuttered, a blush starting on his cheeks. " My child. Had we not gone to Dale today, I might never have known". The brunette looked down at his feet for fear of meeting his mother's eyes. He knew she would be disappointed in his choices as of late.

Dis put her arm around her son. She had always pictured her elder son with a family, sweet, responsible Fili, but never her wild, little Kili.

"Your brother just wants what is best for you". She ventured gently "This woman, Why doesn't Fili trust her?" Her older son was good at reading people but Dis knew he had a blind spot where Kili was concerned. He would give his life in defense of his brother.

The brunette scratched his head. He mentally prepared himself for the inevitable firestorm that his mother would unleash when he told her

"She's an elf" He said simply. " From Mirkwood. Captain of the Guards and the one who healed me when I was wounded".

The room became so quiet Dis could hear her son's light breathe. She would never in a million lifetimes have predicted the words she had just heard. She didn't know what to say to him. Not only was her youngest son going to be a father, the mother of her future grandchild was an elf, one of the people of the haughty king who had refused to come to their aid.

Kili was disheartened at his mother's silence. The only time she was ever quiet in his memory was when she was angry or disappointed. Without the support of his brother and mother, he felt very alone. No matter what happened, they had always been there for him.

" Your uncle will not be pleased" Dis answered finally. Not pleased was a gross understatement. When Thorin found out his nephew had got a bastard on an elf, he would be furious and not even she would be able to protect her beloved son from the rage of the king.


	6. Chapter 6

Tauriel attempted to retire to her rooms but was waylaid by another message from the King to meet him in his study. Wearily she tracked back across the courtyard, and into the chamber where she had first seen Kili. The Bowman was waiting for her , reclining on a chair. 

"Well that was unexpected " He joked, motioning to the chair beside him. The she-elf sank tiredly into it, her eyes focused intently on her lord. 

"When you explained to me your situation, that was not the prince I was expecting" When the elf had come to Dale, looking for a job, He had suspected she had run afoul of the Elvenking by way of his son. She had explained her situation in vague terms, her exile from the forest, her pregnancy and her need for work. He had wheedled that a prince was the father of her child later.

"I'm sorry for any- complications from this , my lord" She apologized. " I had not realized what an issue my presence would be". When the Bowman had mentioned the negotiations with Erebor, he had said a representative of the king. She had assumed the task would fall to an advisor , not the heirs.

"It is of no matter" He began rolling out maps and charts " It is of no fault of yours the dwarf is angry. Now let's discuss the patrols"

 

By the time Tauriel got back to her rooms, it was late afternoon and she could barely keep her eyes open. Food had been laid on her small table.

"You look weary, Mellon" intoned a voice from near the window. The she-elf looked to see her friend, sitting lightly on the ledge.

"It has been a trying day" The red-head said simply. She was in no mood to engage in an argument with him, one she knew would start if she mentioned the dwarf.

"The Princes of Erebor were here today, were they not?" Legolas pushed, rising soundlessly from his perch " Did he see you?" He probed. The Elven prince was incorrigible with his hatred of the dwarves.

Tauriel rubbed her temples and sat on her chair heavily, her ire at her friend growing exponentially. She did not answer him at first, pausing to take a draught from the goblet on her table. The water was clear and cold and had a soothing affect on her frazzled nerves. The she-elf looked up at him tiredly, knowing that he was aching to speak his mind.

" Why don't you tell me as it seems you already know" She retorted pointedly. The blond walked towards her, his footfalls making no sound on the stone floor. He put his palms down on the table in front of her and eased into the remaining chair.

"I am just looking out for you, Mellon. Dwarves are greedy, they covet what is not theirs..."

"You do not know him." She snapped back. The she-elf was sick at heart of the venom that always issued from her friends mouth. Every time he came, it was the same angry words over and over again.

"What will you do Tauriel? What do you think will happen? That he will spirit you off to his kingdom and you will live happily ever after?" He snickered cruelly at the younger elf.

"No Legolas, I'm not a child. I don't believe in fairytales" She replied back unenthusiastically. "Please go. I have not the strength for your poisoned words tonight" The red-headed raised herself out of the chair carefully and started for the door, showing him out. The elven prince grabbed her hand.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean.."

"Leave... please. I have much to do and I would like to rest before my shift" The door opened and her friend strode out, his half-hearted apology still hanging on his lips. The she-elf flopped limply on her pallet, inhaling the scent of her thin pillows. She snuggled down and was asleep almost instantly.

 

  
When she was awakened later, the sky was already dark. The stars winked at her as she relieved the other guard on duty and settled in at her post. She was feeling better than she had earlier but was still slightly on edge. Her meeting with her former lover was all she could think about. 

The red head scanned the scenery carefully , her acute eyes looking for threats. Everything seemed quite as always except for her buzzing mind. 

The elf was nervous about what the meeting would bring. Was Legolas right? Would Kili try to take their baby? Would he step in to help her? Did he still want her? 

A warm blush spread over her features as she remembered their night together. Her blood rushed, hot and thick in her ears. A hard kick from her abdomen jolted her as of to remind the mother of the fruit of her actions. 

Tauriel smiled as she rubbed her stomach absentmindedly. "Yes little one. I know you are there". Another kick under her ribs. Sometimes there were so much movement it seemed impossible for only one child. 

The she-elf stared at the stars above her, mesmerized by their beauty. 

I have always thought it a cold light. A voice said in her head, one she would hear tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a couple warnings for this chapter: Pregnancy sex and mentions a bit of drinking while pregnant. Please don't kill me.
> 
> EDIT: 1/31/2014- Spliced the last chapter so It made a bit more sense. I'm going to try and do a chapter a week.   
> 2/2/2014- Added to this chapter.  
> Suggestions and reviews are always welcome. I relish the chance to improve and learn.
> 
> Thank you to my wonderful beta, Beng!

Kili restlessly rolled over in his bed, unable to sleep. His mind was very much on his meeting with Tauriel tomorrow. The young dwarf found himself running through scenarios in his head over and over. What would their meeting bring? He thought about the red-head, snaking his hand over his curl covered chest down the tight plane of his belly and into his trousers. 

 

Out of habit, the young dwarf looked furtively around. He was still not used to not sharing a room and bed with his brother. They had shared a bed since childhood and it had taken months after Fili's marriage for him to be able to sleep through the night without his brother next to him. Fili's departure had left him feeling vulnerable but he had to admit, sometimes it had it's advantages. 

 

The Brunette sighed heavily as he cupped his limp member in his hand, his mind wandering to the night he spent with the beautiful elf. He remembered the weight of her breasts and feel of her skin under his hands. His blood quickened between his fingers, his cock coming to life in his hands. The archer moaned quietly, rubbing his calloused thumb over his weeping head. He was completely engulfed in the memory of their encounter. 

 

The scent of her is driving him mad, floral notes with the hot musky smell of her arousal. He can practically taste her in the air. She is above him, her teasing smile and wicked tongue tormenting him as she slides down his shaft. Kili thrust frantically in his hand, his mind lost in memory. Her walls around him are tight and moist, sliding torturously against him, tempting him with release. Her cries echoed loudly against the walls of his mind. The dwarf felt that familiar tightening in his lower region and gave in, spurting his seed over his fingers and onto his stomach. Breathing heavily, he groped the side of his bed for a linen and cleaned himself up. He sagged back down, spent, onto his bed and attempted again to sleep. He drifted off without much trouble, thoughts of his lover lulling him into a peaceful slumber. 

 

 

The night passed more quickly than Tauriel had ever expected. Before she knew it, the sun was rising and another guard came to relieve her of her post. The elf made her way to her chambers for rest before Kili's arrival. Her pregnancy made her tired more oft than not. Elven pregnancies were long and arduous, a year in length and very wearying. Her fingers massaged the aches in the small of her back as she sat heavily on her pallet. The child inside her turned in rhyme with her hands, as if they could sense her tiredness and was trying to soothe

her.

 

"We will see your father soon, my love. I only hope he is in better spirits than yesterday"

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Kili spoke to no one as he prepared to leave the next morning. Fili had knocked several times, trying to have a word with him, but the door was firmly locked. The brunette was still angry with his brother and didn't want to agitate himself before his trip to Dale. He packed his rucksack with a couple things and heaved it over his shoulder as he furtively headed out of his chambers and made his way to the stables, trying to keep out of the main corridors so as to avoid his family. 

 

He arrived in Dale with decidedly less pomp than the day before. The dwarf kept a low profile as he dismounted his pony and led him to the stable. After the stables, the archer entered the courtyard and waved over a passing servant. 

 

"Could you direct me to the Captain of the Guards please?" He asked politely, the butterflies in his stomach going mad. He was nervous how she would interact with him after his outburst yesterday. The woman nodded and motioned for him to follow her. 

 

Tauriel's chamber was a large sunlit room off the main courtyard. It had large windows decked with seats and simple elegant curtains. Her pallet was against one wall and the small table where she took her meals was against the opposite. There was a small bookshelf that held the few possessions she had managed to acquire in her 600 years of life. 

 

Kili watched her sheepishly from the doorway before rapping his knuckles lightly on the door frame. The elf turned, startled from her book. 

 

"Kili... I was not expecting you for some time.." The dwarf caught her by surprise. She had not prepared like she had wanted to. A picnic basket was half packed on her bed, the blanket folded beside it. She indicated it with her hand 

 

The prince beamed broadly at her, crossing the room and peering into the open basket. " I have just the thing to accompany this feast" He said, trying to put her at ease. Guilt from yesterday rose thick in his throat as he saw the light bruise on her upper arm from where he grabbed her. Pushing it down, he genially grabs the basket and gallantly give her his elbow " Shall we? This picnic isn't going to eat itself"

 

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

Tauriel was beyond happy that the day turned out to be a good one. The sun was strong and warm over the grassy area that they had choosen. It was semi- secluded and perfect for a meeting of their nature. They had polished off their meal of roast meats and cheese, when the excited dwarf produced several small bottles from his bag. 

 

"Small ale and beer from the mountain. First batch" He relayed gleefully, popping the tops from the bottles and pouring her a glass of the ale. He sat criss crossed beside the elf , watching her stomach with great fascination. Tauriel was propped up her elblow with her legs tucked under her, swirling her goblet. The mood of their meeting grew somber. Kili stared down into his cup.

 

"Tell me everything. Why were you exiled?" The brunette was curious. It was very unusual for the elves to cast out one of their own even under the most dire of circumstances. He took a deep draught from his cup, watching her interestedly from the rim of his glass. 

 

The red-head sighed heavily, putting her cup down on the blanket sullenly. "I disobeyed my orders by coming to your aid in Lake-town. The king's rage was deep. I was stripped of my Captain title and demoted. When he found out of my pregnancy and paternity of my child, He lost his temper and exiled me from the forest." She replied simply. It pained her to think about what had happened. She had lost the only family she had had since her parents were killed by Orcs. Legolas came when he could but his attitude towards her had changed dramatically since she had begun showing her condition. There had been plenty of whispers floating in the dark woods that her baby was the blonde's but after the truth was revealed, all of her people had completely shunned her. 

 

"I came here not long afterward and his majesty appointed me the Captain of his guard, although to tell the truth, there is not much threat here" She intoned, trying to deflect some of the unpleasantness of her tale. It was not his fault she'd been sent away from her home. Tauriel glanced up at the dwarf, who was staring openly at her undulating stomach. Beneath her tunic, the child inside her was moving, sending waves over her skin. She laughed, motioning him over. 

 

"Would you like to feel, Master Dwarf? He moves an inordinate amount, especially if I am trying to rest" Her hand moved across her mid-section, pressing in against the tiny hands and feet inside her.

 

Kili swallowed thickly. "Y-y-yes." He stuttered, his eyes not leaving her belly " I would very much like that". The dwarf was fascinated and aroused by the movement. It was very strange for him to see a pregnant woman. Females were rare among dwarves and the only child he had ever been around was Gloin's boy, Gimli. The fact that a child, his child was alive inside of another being was very stimulating to him. 

 

"He? How do you know it's a he?" He asked, inching closer and placing his calloused hand on her stomach. It was taut under his fingers and he could feel the little ripples as his child kicked. 

 

" I just have a feeling. He seems to get agitated when I am upset, like a boy who cries when he sees his mother crying" She answered him, but she quickly saw his attention was not on her. The young dwarf had both hands on her mid-section and was completely enraptured by the motion taking place there. 

 

A pretty blush had spread across Kili's face and his heart was pounding loudly in his ears. He had found the she-elf attractive from the moment he laid eyes on her, but her figure filled out with the curves of pregnancy was maddeningly arousing. He had always thought elves were too slender. Daringly he slid his hand from her stomach, up her side and onto her cheek. The archer grinned up at her, his pupils blown wide with lust and pulled her towards him. 

 

Tauriel responded immediately, connecting her lips with his. His hands on her had sparked a fire within her chest and she pounced on the opportunity to allow it to smolder and burn to ash. She kissed him with a fervor only matched by his nimble hands on the buttons of her tunic. The she-elf shivered when the breeze came in contact with her naked skin. Kili could clearly see that instead of the little ripples he been feeling, there were bumps he supposed were hands and feet imposed on the tight skin of her belly. He kneeled and kissed her stomach, running his hands over it reverently. The red-head watched him in utter amusement, only pulling him closer to undress him. 

 

"Are you sure about this?" The dwarf questioned, between kisses as they shed their clothes. " I do not want to hurt him..." The she-elf shushed him with another quick peck. 

 

"You will not hurt him " She sighed impatiently, wiggling out of her boots and pants. " I will let you know if you are hurting me". 

 

Tauriel swung her legs around the dwarf, hooking her ankles around his back. Kili sighed loudly as he slid into her, her strong inner muscle gripping him tightly. 

 

"Sweet Mahal-" He whispered, rocking gently back and fourth with the elf firmly ensconced in his lap. It took all he had not to simply pound into her and leave bruises like he had before. The dwarf watched intently as with each thrust, her tummy bounced in time. He could simply not keep his eyes from it, the thought of his child inside her fueling his passion. Tauriel, above him mewled in pleasure as his clever archer's fingers expertly twisted and pulled at her sensitive nipples. 

 

Kili picked up the pace of his rocking, bouncing the lithe elf up and down against his thighs. She was surprisingly light even with the weight of her pregnancy filling the normal sharp, chiseled planes of her body. The brunette was only hanging by a thread, his heated blood pulsing through him, signaling his imminent release. 

 

At last, she found her pleasure, stars exploding in bright colors behind her eyelids, arching her back and crying his name to the sky. He followed her down, shuddering into her as he pulled her body against his.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Their picnic stretched late into the afternoon, the lovers wrapped snuggly in each other's arms, chatting lightly about all manners of things. Tauriel felt herself drifting off as she lay, warm and full with Kili's arm under her head. She had noticed the dwarf had been silent for some time and looked up slowly into his restful face. He looked so young when he was sleeping, his long eyelashes sweeping his cheeks, his dark hair falling into his face.

 

The elf pushed herself up on her elbows, smoothing his free strands back. She hoped their child would inherit his hair, so unlike her own thick locks. Unbidden images of children came to her, a sturdy little boy with his father's dark hair and bright smile and his mother's eyes, a petite little girl graced with her sire's long eyelashes and her mother's elegantly pointed ears. Tauriel could almost hear them laughing in her mind, tumbling over each other to be the first into her arms when she came home after a long day. In her head, she kissed imaginary brows and soothed pretended hurts. She had been imagining children since she had known of her condition.

Only since yesterday had Kili been a part of these daydreams. He played with their child with boundless energy, counseled them and loved them wholeheartedly. It was hard for her to believe that only two days prior, she had been planning her life as if he'd never be apart of it. Full of hope, the plans in her mind were re-writing themselves, but in the deepest recesses of her heart, she knew herself to be a fool for being taken in by her lovesick fantasy.

 

Tauriel could not, in good faith keep Kili from his child. Although reckless, she had an inkling that the dwarf would be a great father if given the chance. The people she worried about were the rest of his family. His brother and uncle did not trust elves as far as they could throw them. Her little one would find no acceptance there. If Kili left Erebor, they could be together, raise their child like any other couple. They had both known hard work and sacrifice in their lifetimes, it would not be much of a stretch.

A realization hit her like a bucket of water, she would outlive Kili many times over. Unless killed, elves did not die, they simply boarded the ships to Grey Havens and left Middle Earth when they grew weary of this world. After the dwarf passed, she would be alone with the ages stretching before her like an endless sentence. She would never again call the forest she had grown up in home. The elf thought of the stories of elven maidens who gave up their immortality , opting instead to live shorter lives filled with happiness rather than endless lives without their lovers by their sides. She had feelings for the young dwarf but giving up the rest of her life for him seemed wrong at this juncture in time. The redhead still hadn't completely forgiven him for his abandonment of her and their baby. In her heart of hearts, she knew it wasn't his fault but that logic did nothing to allay the fear and betrayal she had felt for all those lonely months.

The joy she felt was leeched from her heart as she heard Legolas' taunting words in her head. ' What do you think will happen? That he will spirit you off to his kingdom and you will live happily ever after?'. There would be no happy ending for them, regardless of if they wed. She would lose him anyway and she would be alone, indefinitely. The thought overwhelmed the elf, tears dropping softly down her cheeks and onto the face of the sleeping prince.

 

Tauriel- What?" The dwarf said groggily, coming out of sleep to find the she-elf tearing up. Drowsily, he pulled her to his chest, burying his face in her hair. "Whatever it is, it will be alright" Kili held her tighter, feeling their child move lazily between them . " I promise"


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two months have passed and Thorin is growing ever suspicious of where his nephew is off to every day. 
> 
> Thanks to Berrin96 and Beng for reading and edititng this chapter!!!
> 
> As always, suggestions and reviews are always welcome ( and encouraged)
> 
> 2/22/2014: Just some small edits!

Ori wasn't the biggest of dwarves. He wasn't the brightest, or fastest or strongest. He wasn't a trained warrior or a messenger or a spy so he was surprised when the King summoned him to his private apartments. Thorin hadn't spoken to them aside from honoring the company several months back. The red-headed dwarf shifted uncomfortably, staring at his well-worn boots as the King paced in a state of agitation , hastily throwing Bilbo's dressing gown onto his large bed. 

 

"Ori, I summoned you because I have an assignment for you." The King began, still pacing rapidly back and forth across his rooms, picking up seemingly random articles of clothing and putting them away. The King did not want Ori to know the hobbit had been spending the night. He had thought extensively about the task he was about to give the younger dwarf. “I need you to follow Kili, find out where he goes every day. For the past two months, He disappears during the day and doesn't come back until well after nightfall. I want to know where he has been" 

 

Ori faced his king, his eyes lowered slightly. Follow Kili? The brunette was the youngest of their company, highly skilled in both hunting and tracking, It would be hard to follow him without being noticed. The only one that rivaled the youngest prince was his older brother. "T-Thank you for the honor, y-your Majesty" Ori stuttered helplessly "B-but I'm not much of a tracker. Fili-"

 

"Fili will not help me" Thorin barked suddenly, his ire rising. "Something is going on with my nephews and I intend to find out. My sister will not help either". The Dwarf King huffed, turning again towards the other dwarf. He eyed him up and down. Ori was certainly not his first choice in the matter, but he would do. Despite his misgivings, the red-head was light on his feet, and completely inconspicuous. His nephew would never suspect the mild-mannered dwarf in front of him. "Find out where he is going. Who is he meeting with? What does he bring with him? I want to know everything. You are dismissed" Thorin crowed, waving his hand and watching Ori amble out of his presence, his shoulders hunched and shaking. 

 

Thorin dropped down into his chair heavily, reaching for the goblet on the table. The business with his kin worried him greatly. Two months ago, His younger nephew would refuse to come out of his rooms and Fili practically had to drag him to go hunting, normally one of his favorite pastimes. Now the young dwarf was avoiding his brother and was gone from morning until night. His nephews had been inseparable since birth and now it was as if they could barely be in the same room. Even Dis had been acting strangely. She refused to meet his eye when he asked about her sons. The King took a heady swig from his cup. Something was very wrong within his family, and he wouldn't rest until he found out exactly what it was. 

 

It had taken Ori days to figure out how to go about the matter Thorin had put before him. There were only two settlements close enough to Erebor for the young prince to be able to make day trips: Lake-town and Dale. He had confirmed with the stable hands that Kili took his pony in the early mornings when he left Erebor, making Lake-town extremely unlikely. Having narrowed down his destinations, the scribe moved on to his more pressing problem. There would be no way for him to follow Kili without being noticed. He simply wasn't nimble enough for that. The young dwarf could however use his unimportance to shield his real purpose.

It came to him as he poured over histories in the massive library at Erebor. The King had charged him at their return to document the missing history of the dwarves in exile. Ori noticed that there was not much information about the desolation of Dale and the solution hit him like a ton of bricks. Even though Bard hadn't been alive at the time, it was he who would know the most about what had happened concerning Giron and the black arrows. The scribe could use his legitimate errand as an inconspicuous way to track the young prince's movements. He was utterly terrified of failing his king; there was not enough royal blood in his veins to protect him and his kin if he failed. 

 

~~~~~~

 

Ori had just finished saddling up his pony when Kili bounced into the stables, a broad smile covering his handsome face. He was surprised that the scribe was there, normally no one save the stable hands was up this early. 

 

"Ori? What are you doing up and about so early" Kili questioned, trying to mask the surprise in his voice. The bag on his back clinked, the glass bottles and metal settling against each other loudly. He had been hoping to leave before anyone else came down, as suspicious as everyone had been lately. Every time he entered his Uncle's study, he could practically feel Thorin's eyes raking him as if trying to pry some secret of his daily whereabouts from his appearance. His normal excuse of hunting was wearing thin on his family especially since he usually went hunting with Fili and he hadn't really spoken to his brother since they arrived home from Dale two months prior. It had been hard, he missed the blonde something fierce, but had trouble forgiving him for what he had done. 

 

"Just an errand for the King" the red-head replied nonchalantly. He showed the brunette the sheaf of parchment in his saddle bags. "I am to catalogue the history of Dale". Ori carefully replaced the paper in his bag, rolling it gently so it wouldn't wrinkle. The scribe checked the caps on his ink bottles and turned back to Kili. "Where are you off to?" He asked, slightly cocking his head to one side. 

 

The archer smiled good-naturedly “Just out for a ride, Hunting eventually I suppose" He fell back on the excuse he always gave his family. "I'll accompany you are far as Dale, if that's alright with you. It's not safe to be going out alone" 

 

The red-headed nodded as he mounted. “I’d like that” He replied, grasping his saddle horn tightly and steering his pony out of the yard. 

~~~~~~

 

Kili grew restless the closer and closer they got to Dale. The prospect of having another dwarf close to his secret, even one as earnest and innocent as Ori scared him. He had not yet plucked up the courage to tell his uncle about Tauriel and the baby and it was not a conversation he relished having before he was ready. His mother and Fili had been surprisingly silent about the subject, given their propensity for meddling in his life, even if it was for his own good. 

 

Mumbling apologies to Ori, Kili separated from his companion just short of the city, claiming the game was better on the far side, past the meadow. He waved and galloped off, looping around to the other side of Dale to get to the spot where he and Tauriel always met. It was far too dangerous for them to be seen together. Ahead of him, he saw the red-head laying languidly on a blanket, her eyes closed, hand resting gently on her growing middle. The dwarf sighed contentedly. The past two months he counted among the happiest of his life despite the strife he was experiencing at home. If he could bring himself to forgive his brother, life would be almost perfect. 

 

 

Ori could see Kili growing skittish as they grew closer to their destination. ' So it is Dale then' The older dwarf thought. His estimation was correct. His companion was going to the city and there was clearly something he was hiding. He had never seen the brunette so ill at ease. He watched Kili gallop away, tracking him with his eyes until his form was nothing more than a pinprick. His plan formulating quickly in his mind, Ori turned his horse and picked up his pace towards Dale , anxious to get started to the enjoyable part of his journey so he could focus on the part he dreaded.

 

It was early afternoon before Ori was released from his studies. The King of Dale was a very busy man and the red-headed dwarf spent the day dashing after him, scribbling furiously as the King attended to the business of running and rebuilding his kingdom. He was dead on his feet as he stashed his parchment and quills in his saddlebags for when he returned. Bard had given him a wealth of information between labored breaths and he seemed to have bridged the gap in the written history of the dwarves. Ori was dreading the part that came next; spying on Kili. After seeing that his pony was fed and watered, he headed towards the opposite side of town, where the younger dwarf had explained the best game was. The houses became rarer and rarer as he crept as quietly as he could, careful to keep from the main roads. 

 

At the end of the city, there was a wide open green space, dotted with small trees that had grown after Smaug burned Dale to the ground. Sporadic outcroppings of large rock punctuated the meadow, grown green with moss and lichen. He knelt behind the nearest pile as he scanned his surroundings. Looking side to side, Ori spotted Kili's pony tethered to a tree, his weapons still attached, but his saddle bags missing. A high-pitched keening sound, accompanied by lower moans and grunts caught his attention. He tiptoed closer and steered himself nimbly behind the next outcropping. Peeking around the rocks, Ori felt his mouth hang open and a bright scarlet flush creep down his cheeks at the sight that greeted him. 

 

The young dwarf prince was enthusiastically bouncing a red-headed elf Ori recognized from their captivity in Mirkwood in his naked lap. The elf's head was thrown back in ecstasy, a pink blush sweeping down the long, elegant column of her neck, her large belly creating a gulf between the lovers. From his position, Ori could see the bruises Kili’s hands made on the she-elf's delicate flesh and the bite marks on her neck, proclaiming to anyone who saw them that she was his. The shy dwarf could feel the blood in his veins speed up and his heart echoed painfully in his ears as he listened to the cries of the second heir. Sidling back to his hidden place behind the rocks, Ori sat on the ground, stunned into silence. Not only was the brunette sneaking off to bed an elf of all things, he had possibly sired a bastard. The scribe swallowed thickly, dreading have to tell the King the sins of his nephew. He could already picture Thorin's reaction in his mind, his face filled with fury, his voice booming . 

Taking advantage of the lover's distracted state, Ori quietly slithered away, slinking back the way he came and back through Dale at a quickened pace. The sooner he got away from the prince and his lover, the sooner the queer tight feeling in his stomach would subside. He dashed to his pony, rallying the beast into a gallop as soon as he was able. The aroused feeling in his mid-section abated, only to be replaced with a heavy, sickening dread. He could not disobey his king, but he had a creeping feeling that he would come to regret it if he told him what he had seen. The red-head was fond of the young prince, more so than most members of the company. Kili was reckless, but never cruel or harsh. Indecision dogged his every breathe. He felt as if he were a harbinger of boom, bringing words that could topple a kingdom with their power. 

 

Tauriel dressed in silence, her nimble finger lacing her tunic with deft precision. 

“Have you told him?” She questioned, turning to the dwarf that was still reclining lethargically on the rumpled blanket at her feet. The prince scowled up at her, pushing himself into a sitting position. 

“Not yet. The time is not right. I will. I prom-“

“I have had enough of your promises, Kili” The she- elf snapped, cutting him off, shocking even herself with the harshness of her tone. She was frustrated with his assurance that he would tell his family about her and his repeated failure to do so. It was getting close to the time their child would be born and she was still bothered by the feeling he would abandon her again. The elf couldn’t banish the doubt from her heart.

The dwarf sighed heavily and rose from the ground. They had had this argument more time than he was willing to admit in the last two months. As many times as he reassured her, she still held a deep-seated fear he would leave her. The closer they got to the birth, the more agitated and angry she became. He had since learned it would do him no good to rise to her bait so Kili hugged her around her belly, trailing butterfly kisses up her torso. 

“Tonight, azjung”. He murmured in his mother tongue. “I’ll tell him tonight if it makes you happy”. Kili placed his ear to her stomach, content to listen to the sounds coming from within. For his One, he would risk his uncle’s wrath and face Durin’s bane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Thorin could not believe the words he heard pouring swiftly out of Ori’s mouth. The young dwarf was trembling as he recounted his story to the king, terrified of the enmity his tale would earn him. With every syllable he spoke, he felt guilt bubble up in his gut threatening to choke him. His fear of the King had ultimately won out over any objections he had. He simply did not have the luxury. As Ori had expected, he could practically see the fury and heat radiating off of Thorin’s face as he listened to the dwarf before him. 

His nephew? With an elf? He almost laughed angrily about the absurdity of it all. Thorin should have known the argument between the brothers was over a lover, he was irritated that he had not put the piece together before. Kili’s moodiness and then his sudden absences. His previous petulance at Fili. Breathing heavily, the dwarf king turned his back on Ori. 

“T-there’s one more thing, Your Highness” The red-headed muttered, wringing his hands tightly before him. “The she-elf…She’s expecting…” He trailed off, waiting 

“What did you say?” Thorin replied, pivoting back around, glowering at the scribe powerfully. 

“She’s with child, pretty far along too, I’d say… Majesty” Ori put in, his hands bright red at the force he twisted them together. He stood straight up, trying to stop his knees from knocking together at the wrath that now had doubled on Thorin’s features. 

The mountain King exploded, the eruption of his voice ringing loudly through the cavernous halls of his domain. 

“FILI!. DIS!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kili returns home with the intention of telling Thorin, but quickly finds his news isn't a secret anymore. 
> 
> Thank you again to Beng and Berrin96 for their lovely critiques and help!
> 
> As always, comments, suggestions and critiques are always welcome!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The eldest prince of Erebor dozed lightly in his son’s nursery. Fili had barely gotten any sleep in the week since Frerin had been born so he took the chance whenever he could. His son was snuggled against his chest finally asleep after almost an hour of rocking and singing. The dwarf looked down thoughtfully on his offspring, his bright thatch of hair soft and feathery against his cheek. He had not held a baby this small since the day Thorin laid Kili in his arms. 

 

‘Kili…’ He exhaled, thinking about his brother. Fili remembered the day his brother was born vividly. He had been distraught, hearing his mother scream and cry in the other room. His uncle paced so violently he worked the dwarfling into a frenzy with his nervous energy until finally Oin had sent him outside just to get him out of the way. Thorin had told him the story of his own birth to pass the time, of how proud his father had been. Some time later, the healer had called them inside and handed the tiny bundle to the King. Thorin had made the young dwarf sit down before passing the newborn into his lap, gently instructing him how to hold him. 

“This is Kili” He had said gravely. “He’s your brother and you must always protect him, Fili, no matter what”. 

The words echoed in his head as he rocked his own small son. Fili hadn’t done a very good job of taking care of his brother recently. Shame still sat heavy in his stomach every time he saw Kili. He had tried numerous times to apologize, but the brunette shrugged him off and disappeared. The blonde swallowed thickly as he shouldered the baby, attempting to put him in his crib when he heard his uncle’s voice reverberating loudly from the cavernous hall below. He sighed as the dwarfling in his arms burst into fresh tears. 

“Oh, For Mahal’s sake..”.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Both of you knew about this, but neither of you thought that this was information important enough to tell me?” Thorin barked at the two less than cooperative dwarves in front of him. Both Fili and Dis were giving him the same clipped, angry look. Dis wasn’t muscular like Thorin or her sons, but she certainly cut an imposing figure.

“It was not our news to give, Thorin” snapped the dwarrowdame, slamming her hands on the table “ And I do not appreciate being scolded like a child, even if you are my king”. 

“It is news that I should have known” The King rumbled lowly at his sister, flicking his eyes between her and his heir. “And what do you have to say of this?” 

The blonde faltered, looking down at the table and then back up to meet his king. “I tried to stop them. What more would you have me do? Kili is a grown dwarf, Uncle. We cannot make his choices for him. If this elf is his one..”

“An elf? The One of a son of Durin? Never!” Thorin almost laughed at the absurdity of what his nephew had suggested. The very notion that any dwarf would find his soul mate among a bunch of flowery tree-shaggers sounded like the punchline of a bad joke. His wayward nephew was not thinking with his head.

“It’s no more absurd than a dwarf and a hobbit” Dis countered, cocking her eyebrow saucily at her older brother. She knew she would hit a nerve. Thorin glowered at her, breathing like a winded animal. 

“That’s different, sister mine” He growled

“In what way, brother dearest?!” Dis rounded on him angrily. “It’s alright when you do it, but not for my son?” She advanced on him, her dark eyes flaring wildly.  
“Your precious son got a bastard on an elf, Dis!” The dwarf-king countered roughly.His rising anger coursed through him, flooding his ears with the sound of his own rushing blood. “An elf. A dishonorable betrayer just like all the others” He hissed at her, standing his ground. 

“She’s not without honor, Uncle.” Thorin had expected a comeback, but not from Fili. He turned to face the blonde, who had stood up out of his chair. “She saved Kili’s life. He would not be alive if she hadn’t followed us to Laketown. I don’t like it either, but if she makes him happy, who am I to stand in their way?”

Fili’s response left Thorin hot with rage. He had not thought his heir would oppose him on this, but once again he was left in surprise.

“You are my heirs, both of you. I would not have the line of Durin polluted with the blood of our enemies!” Thorin shouted, furious at being contradicted in such a way.  
“They are not all our enemies, not anymore! They fought with us to save this kingdom” Fili reasoned loudly, his voice rising in tempo with the king’s. “She could have let Kili die from his wound. Instead she sought us out and risked her life!” 

“One good deed from a soldier does not rectify the sins of their King!” The older dwarf shot back. He began to feverishly pace again. 

“She is not her king! She cannot be held accountable for his choices!” Fili yelled, running his hand roughly through his hair in frustration. “Any more than I am responsible for the choices you have made or you are responsible for the choices of King Thror!” 

Thorin’s eyes flashed wildly at his kin. Gauging each of their stares, He knew no aid would be coming from them.

”Fine. If you will not help me bring him to his senses, I will see to it myself.” He grumbled loudly, sweeping out of the room in all his majestic glory. Fili and Dis exchanged a knowing glance and hurried after him, hoping to quell his anger before Kili got home. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blissfully unaware of the turmoil going on at home, Kili rode back, savoring the pleasure that was still circling its way through his bloodstream. He and Tauriel had been arguing playfully about names and there were none they could agree on. The dwarf wanted to name their offspring Gili, if it was a boy after his deceased father, but the elf was having none of it. The names she had liked were equally as repugnant to him. No child of his was going to be stuck with some flowery moniker. She was just as stubborn as him when it came down to it. The she-elf had compared dwarf names to the names of dogs, and sent him sputtering into his cups. Tauriel reasoned the elf names were elegant reflections of days past, even the lowliest elf had a name worthy of royalty. Kili had feigned offense at her line of argument, stating that there were many great kings with the names of dogs, including her own. She had smacked him for that, but made it up later via kisses. They had finally reached a compromise in agreeing to give the child one of each. 

For all the headway they had made in trivial matters, they still hadn’t formed a cohesive plan for their future. Kili didn’t want to leave the mountain, not after all they had been through to regain it. Tauriel and the baby couldn’t live with him there because of his uncle. If he chose to leave Erebor, Thorin would surely disown him and that wasn’t something either of them wanted. The elf truly didn’t care about his royal blood, but she knew how much his family meant to him, especially after the loss of her own. Their only reasonable hope was that with time, the king would relent and if not welcome, accept Kili’s small family. 

The closer he got to Erebor, the more the promise he had made to her weighed on his mind. Thorin was no longer just his uncle, but his king. The dwarf should have told him when he first found out so that the idea of a little dwarfling and its elf mother would have had time to sink into the King’s thick skull before the child’s birth. But as usual, the young prince had dithered until the last possible moment. He debated asking his mother to come with him, but almost immediately shook the idea away. He was an adult, he alone was responsible for his actions, and he alone had to take responsibility for what his actions had done to Tauriel.

After stabling his pony, the young dwarf strode purposefully towards his chambers, looking forward to a hot meal and good drink before talking to his uncle. Much to his surprise, his rooms were already occupied. His Uncle was seated at his table, clearly waiting for him to return. A sick feeling settled in his stomach as he met the cold fury in his uncle’s blue eyes.

“H-hello Uncle” He stuttered helplessly, feeling Thorin’s stare bearing down on him. The way his jaw was set pushed the younger prince to conclude he was not here for a pleasant chat. 

“Good day, My beloved nephew” Thorin replied, toying with the goblet in his hands. “Busy today, were you?” An angry smirk drew up the corners of his lips. “A little hunting, maybe a picnic, hmmm?”

The younger dwarf swallowed thickly, the tone in his uncle’s voice making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He knew that voice well, it was only used when he was in serious trouble. Kili took a seat heavily on his bed, waiting. “No, of course not. Just went out for a ride, that’s all” He shrugged and smiled, trying to show he wasn’t worried, when in reality, he was terrified. 

“You know better than to lie to me, Kili. A little bird told me some very interesting news”. The king sat up suddenly, glaring daggers at his kin. “Not only have you been keeping company with an elf, but got her with child as well!” Thorin yelled, slamming his fist down on the wooden table. The goblet that had been set on it clattered to the floor and shattered, blood-dark wine spreading rapidly over the floor. The younger dwarf jumped up, frightened by the sudden motion and noise. His uncle had never been violent with him or Fili and this unexpected display alarmed him. The boldness he had felt on his ride from Dale quickly evaporated in the face of his uncle’s fury. 

“Well you see, Uncle Thorin, The funny thing about that is-.” Kili sputtered, trying to keep his voice from wavering. He looked up at his uncle, pleading with his eyes like he used to as a child when he got in trouble. 

“Don’t ‘Uncle Thorin’ me. How could you have been so daft as to fall into her trap?” The King boomed, his deep voice echoing in the small chamber. 

“Trap?” The young dwarf looked at his uncle in confusion “There was no trap!” 

Thorin laughed gratingly, the harsh, mirthless sound hurting Kili’s ears. “Are you certain this child is even yours? It’s the oldest ruse a wench can pull, getting with child so a man will marry her. What better prize than a Prince of Durin?” He spat, watching the hurt rise in his nephew’s eyes. “She marked you as an easy target”

Kili’s ire rose at Thorin’s last remark. “Of course I’m certain. She loves me, and I her. She’s my One, Uncle” He returned angrily, a deep flush growing across his face. He could not believe what Thorin was saying. The younger dwarf had known the king would not take to his news kindly, but he ever expected the suggestions being made. 

“She’s an ELF!” Thorin roared, the whole room shaking with the force of it. “A unscrupulous deserter. An elf would never love a dwarf, no matter what she’s said to you. You are too different.” 

It was Kili’s turn to get angry now. He and his kin had wholeheartedly supported Thorin when he had announced his intention to court Bilbo. 

“You Hypocrite!” The young prince snarled at his Uncle “How dare you speak to me of difference when you carry on with a hobbit!?” He surged forward, towards Thorin. “I love her. She’s carrying my child.” Kili trailed off, breathing heavily and attempting unsuccessfully to regain his composure. “How can you deny me my heart’s desire when you yourself have done the same thing?”

“Do you think you were her first, stupid boy?” Thorin taunted back, an ugly edge creeping into his voice “Do you think her disobedience was the reason the Elven King threw her out? She’s a whore. Couldn’t get her claws into the elven prince, so she set her eyes on you instead!” 

Kili could feel tears welling behind his eyes, but refused to let them fall. He would not be seen as weak. 

“That’s not true” He replied heatedly, shaking his head. He did not believe a word that came out of his Uncle’s mouth, but in his heart of hearts, he faltered. While they were prisoners in Mirkwood, the young dwarf had seen the way the elven prince’s eyes had followed Tauriel. He had heard the possessiveness in the blonde elf’s voice as he spoke to her, saw the hatred in his glare. He felt his own jealousy welling up in him as he avoided his uncle’s eyes. She was his, anything else was unthinkable. 

“Listen to me, Kili. She’s no one. A lowly guard captain, with no family. Her own people exiled her. Even a traitor like Thranduil thought her filth. This was her plan all along.” The King reasoned, taking a step towards his nephew. 

“She tricked you. Tried to pass off her bastard as yours, you poor naïve-“ Thorin was cut off in mid-sentence by Kili’s hand grasping his shirt tightly. The younger dwarf had closed the distance between them and grabbed him. 

“Let go boy, before you do something you regret”. The older dwarf growled, looking deeply into the brunette’s eyes. He could feel him trembling with pent-up rage. Kili was breathing hard and shallow, his face bright red. His pupils were blown wide with the effects of his anger. Thorin could hear the erratic fluttering of his nephew’s heart as it pounded in his chest. With a moment’s hesitation, Kili uncurled his fingers from the older dwarf’s shirt and ran out the door , leaving his uncle standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his fight with Thorin, Kili still has anger left to spend
> 
> As always, Suggestions and comments are encouraged. Please let me know what you want to see and what you think!
> 
> Thanks again to Beng and Berrin96 for their continued edits and suggestions.

Kili couldn’t catch his breath as he ran through the halls of Erebor, not caring who he bumped into. He just wanted to escape the stuffy halls and calm his racing thoughts in the cool outside. After what seemed like an eternity, he traipsed out of the labyrinth of corridors into the night air. The young dwarf screamed into the sky. He heard a pair of boots after him. 

“Kee…?” A voice from behind him intoned. There was a heavy hand on his shoulder and he recognized the familiar pressure. 

“Leave me, Fili” The young dwarf replied without turning his head to his brother. After his fight with Thorin, he was drained and had no wish to hear his brother out. 

“What Uncle said, He doesn’t know what she did for you… He’s just trying to protect y-“

“I do not need protection!” Kili spun on his heel and lunged at his brother’s face. The blonde flinched harshly. “And to think, I thought the worst betrayal was you keeping me from her. I was wrong, brother. You telling him is far worse” He shoved Fili hard away from him. 

The older dwarf looked confused at his accusation. “It wasn’t me, Kee. I told him nothing. I refused him when he asked me to follow you.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Kili roared, shoving his brother again roughly. He was tired of the cosseting and untruths his family was spinning around him. 

“Do you think I have had the time to run around after you recently?” The blonde stepped back, his hands up in a defensive position. “With Drifa as sick as she was and Frerin’s birth?” 

As much as the younger dwarf didn’t want to admit it, Fili had a point. His wife had been bedridden before the baby’s birth and the blonde had been at her bedside as much as he was able between his duties at their uncle’s side.

“You refused an order from Thorin?” Kili asked skeptically. The blonde had always been the more responsible one. He rarely disobeyed anything their uncle said, except for rare instances. 

Fili nodded quickly, pleading with the brunette to believe him. “You’re still my brother, regardless of how angry at me you are. I thought I knew what was best for you once; I would not do it again”

“Liar” The archer hissed, his dark eyes narrowing at his sibling. He took another aggressive step towards him, his mouth caught in a scowl. 

The blonde threw his hands up in concession again. “Think, Kee. Who else could Uncle ask if not me? Who does he trust?” He said simply, backing farther away. 

Kili’s brain went into overdrive. If it reallyreally wasn’t his brother, who could have followed him without him noticing? He prided himself of being one of the best trackers in Erebor. The only dwarves Thorin would trust with such a task were from their company. Majority of them had been assigned tasks on the King’s behalf. 

“Just an errand for the King.” The phrase echoed in his Kili’s mind and he saw red. There was only one dwarf that could have spied on him and unfortunately for Ori, he knew just where to find him.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ori was deeply engrossed in his books when he heard the large wooden door open with a deafening boom. Heavy footfalls walked across the stone floor, coming closer and closer. The red-head cowered pitifully in his book when he recognized the steps. Kili’s normally handsome visage popped from around a book case, an angry smile marring his fine features. 

“Hello, Ori” He said pleasantly, his tone failing to mask the contempt in his voice. The brunette rested his hand on the table next to the book the other dwarf was reading, towering over him threateningly. 

“H-Hello, Kili. What brings you here?” Ori answered as politely as he was able, his heart fluttered nervously in his chest. Ever since he had reported to the King, he had been expecting the second heir to confront him at some point. 

“Do not attempt to play the dolt with me, I don’t want excuses” Kili growled, moving closer to Ori. The older dwarf attempted to move back but found he was unable. “Errand for the King, I should have known…” 

“I-I was on an errand” The red-head squeaked pitifully. Ori could feel the other dwarf’s anger radiating off him in hot, bitter waves. 

Kili rounded on him. “I said no excuses!” He roared, grabbing the scribe by the neck of his cardigan and picking him up from his chair. The younger dwarf’s teeth were bared in an angry snarl, his dark eyes flashing. “It seems I cannot trust anyone!” He shook the smaller dwarf fiercely, rattling his teeth. 

Ori grasped Kili’s hand tightly with his own. “ I did not have a choice” He murmured forcefully, staring directly up into the brunette’s eyes. “I’m sorry, I really am-“ 

“Kili, put him down” hummed a voice from the door. Lady Dis strode in, arms crossed firmly, scowling at her youngest child. Ori’s eyes flicked back and forth between mother and son.  
The brunette made no moves to put the scribe down.

"I will not ask again" Dis hissed at Kili, uncurling her arms and motioning for him to go. The red-head felt the archer drop him to the ground abruptly. Dis smiled apologetically at Ori and led her son out of the room.  
~~~~  
"This elf of yours, she must be very special to have you pick a fight with your uncle and then threated unarmed scribe, one of your own company” The King's sister intoned as she walked the corridors, trailed closely by her offspring. 

"He picked a fight with me!" The younger dwarf protested, furiously. His mother shot him a dirty look over her shoulder. "You heard that?" asked Kili sheepishly, changing his tone.

"Everyone this side of Dale heard that!" She snapped angrily at him. "This has to stop. For Mahal's sake, you are going to be a father! You cannot go around manhandling at everyone who doesn't agree with you ". The dwarrowdame stomped forward, huffing loudly. "I am heartsick over this fighting from all of you!" She barked, her voice carrying down the halls. 

Kili's shoulder slumped forward dejectedly. He knew his mother was right and he hated it. He was an adult and he needed to start acting like one. It was much easier for him to yell at people instead of talking to them. He was just so tired of being treated like a dwarfling who needed protecting. His mother’s point hit him again. They didn’t take him as grown because he didn’t act like he was. Temper tantrums were the actions of a child, not a full grown dwarf with a child of his own on the way. The brunette’s shoulders sunk further down.

"She is special, Amad" He said quietly to her retreating form. "I can't live without her..." He trailed off as he stopped walking. In front of him, Dis halted and turned to look at him. Her face softened when she saw the look on her son's face. She recognized that look from when she saw it on Gili's face as he pleaded with Thorin to marry her.

The princess had been peeping through the keyhole in their small house in Ered Luin , watching the events that were unfolding. She had spied her brother, dark and imposing, cross his arms as he listened to her beloved. “I can’t live without her " Gili had begged, his beautiful golden hair streamed out behind him. “I know I’m just a miner, Thorin but I’ll take care of her with my last breath. Please” he had implored. Her brother had shot a look at Dwalin and returned to the blonde in front of him. A smile had broken across Thorin’s face like a ray of sunshine as he gave his consent. She had felt her heart expand when she had seen the look on Gili’s face. 

“I know, sweeting” The she-dwarf pulled him in for a hug, burying her face in his hair as she remembered his father. “Your Uncle is the most hardheaded dwarf I’ve ever known, save you and Fili. ” She smiled brightly up into his face. “Do you remember when you were young, how much time he spent with you? He used to tell me that coming home to you two was the only thing that kept him going."

Kili smirked into his mother's shoulder despite himself. He and Fili used to count the hours until their uncle came home from the forge, reeking of sweat and metal. They fought to be the first in his arms when he came in the door, to be the one to sit on his lap after dinner. The sun rose and set on Thorin for them. He had raised two fatherless dwarflings into strong, capable warriors. It was Thorin who had taught him how to hunt. It was Thorin who found an archery teacher when he discovered his nephew's talent even though he didn't approve. 

"You'll see. He'll come around once the little one comes" Dis threaded her hands through her boy's dark hair and kissed his forehead lightly. She took his arm and steered him down the hallway towards her chambers. When they reached her rooms, she unhooked her arm from his and stepped towards her archway.

"Kili ?” Dis questioned, opening the heavy wooden door to her rooms.

“Yes, Mother?” Her son answered, looking expectantly at her. 

“I’d like to meet the mother of my grandchild. You know, to tell her embarrassing stories about you" The dwarrowdame offered, beaming as she opened the door to her rooms.

The archer flushed slightly. There were plenty of stories she could tell and none of them made him look very good. “You will do no such thing” He threatened teasingly, a grin spreading across his features. 

“You would rob me of one of the joys of being a grandmother?” She feigned outrage, throwing her hand to her chest in a gesture of mock innocence. 

Kili snorted in laughter “Goodnight, Mother” He replied.

“Goodnight, my son.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kili introduced Dis to Tauriel
> 
> Thank you to beng and berrin96 for reading everything over! 
> 
> Comments and suggestions always welcome
> 
> Just a heads up! The next chapter may take me awhile longer as things will finally come to a head so please bear with me!

The sun was rolling over the valley of Dale in bright, unrelenting waves. The wind swept across it, making the long grass look like the sea.  
"Other than patrols and extra hands when foreign dignitaries visit, there isn't that much to attend to," Tauriel said simply, gesturing over the wide area in front of her. She was perched on the parapet in the guard tower, glossing over the finer points of her occupation with her temporary replacement.

The solemn man nodded, quietly taking in her words. He had been the first man she hired after her appointment and there was no one else she trusted to protect Dale in her absence. Glecyn was strong, steady and taciturn. He fought well with sword and bow and would lay down his life for his lord. What as more the other guards listented to and respected him. She could not ask for more in her replacement. Brushing her hands down her dress, she left Glecyn to his watch. It had taken her some weeks to get used to wearing the impractical garment but as she grew in girth, her normal clothes no longer would accommodate her roundness. Slowly the elf descended the stairs and returned slowly to her chambers, dreading more with each day the temporary loss of her usefulness.

She had tried to put off her leave as much as possible, but the King had finally put his foot down for her own good. If it was up to her, she would have kept working until she actually started having her pains. The she-elf hated to be idle, she avoided it altogether if she could help it, often driving herself to the point of exhaustion. It was true that her fatigue point was much lower than it normally was, but she hadn't let that stop her. When she wasn't with Kili or on duty, Tauriel was trying to learn anything she could for her upcoming leap into parenthood. Knitting hadn’t gone well for her, neither had sewing, embroidering or any of the other womanly pursuits that the king's daughters had amused themselves with trying to teach her. The red-head consoled herself with the fact that her hands were clearly not made for such delicate work. Her legacy to her child would be her skill and grace with whatever weapon they chose.

Her miserable attempts at crafting were strewn about her rooms, languishing pitifully in various states of ruin. Sigrid and Tilda had laughed themselves sick at her dismal attempts, knotted and misshapen as they were. Luckily for Tauriel’s little one, Bard's daughters relished the idea of making tiny garments and had taken to it with gusto. She would need to produce twins to make use of all the garments they'd made. Tauriel maneuvered her rounded figure into a chair, looking over the detritus in front of her. Her small table was laden with papers, cluttered with lists that she and Kili had made of names that neither of them could agree with. The elf smiled as she remembered a few days prior, the dwarf's face bright in her consciousness.

Seeing the archer's face in her mind sent sharp waves of nervousness deep into the pit of her stomach. When Tauriel had seen him last, Kili had asked her to meet his mother. Ever since then, she had been unable to staunch the nervous jiggling feeling from her midsection. The dwarf had told her about his fight with his uncle and despite his reassurances, the elf was pretty sure Kili's mother would share the same low opinion of her as Thorin.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knock at her door. A maidservant peaked in the doorway: "Lady Tauriel, the Prince of Erebor and Lady Dis here to see you." 

"Send them in please, Glaren, and bring some refreshments?" The elf replied, leaning over from her seat and tried in vain to clean some of the mess off her table. She swept her paper scraps into an open book and tidied her quills. Footsteps approached her door quickly and Tauriel attempted to push herself into a standing position, but was greatly hindered by her large size. 

When she finally rose, she found herself staring into the vaguely familiar dark eyes of a female dwarf. The she-elf had never seen one before, as rare as they were outside dwarven settlements. Dis looked very much like her younger son, the same large brown eyes fringed with inky lashes, the same hard lines in the face. The dwarrowdame had long dark hair that reached down her cheeks and chin , tinged lightly with grey and decorated with intricate braids. 

"Welcome, My lady" Tauriel said, attempting unsuccessfully to bow. Dis shook her head. 

"There's no need for that here, my dear. This is not a state visit. Just Dis will do." She replied kindly, smiling wide, showing all of her teeth. The elf nodded and, returning her smile, slipped gracelessly back into her chair. The dwarrowdame followed suit, sitting down adjacent to her. Her eyes took in the disarray on the elf’s table before finally landing on one of her failed knitting attempts. 

"You knit?" the dwarrowdame’s dark eyes twinkled with laughter that she'd been too kind to let escape. 

"As you can see, My La-Dis, " Tauriel corrected herself swiftly, "Knitting is not quite my forte." 

Dis’ lips quirked up in a smile. "This is actually not a bad attempt. You should have seen when I tried to teach Kili..." 

The elf's eyebrows nearly shot to her hairline in surprise. “You taught Kili... how to knit..." She smothered a giggle threatening to escape from her throat.

Dis chortled out loud "I said I tried to teach him, He ended up hogtied, care of his brother." 

The she-elf smirked wildly, letting the pent up laughter ring out loudly. "They were quite a handful, I'd wager."

It was Dis' turn to burst out with laughter. "Let me tell you a story…"

~~~~~~~~~~

Kili massaged his temples, closing his eyes against the sensation. His nerves were already frayed beyond belief and it had not even reached noon. Today of all days had to be the day when everything went wrong. The day he had foolishly chosen to introduce Tauriel to his mother. Dis had been her infuriating self, smiling innocently while pushing all his buttons. At first, she refused to ride, instead opting for a cart and after he'd arranged everything, she had announced she'd be riding. To top it all off, her pony had thrown a shoe and now he was stuck at the smith's making sure his mother would have a fully shoed pony to ride home on.

His mother had disappeared and was probably causing havoc to his already less than sterling reputation with the she-elf. He could already picture the dwarrowdame examining Tauriel as one might assess a prize winning sheep. Apologizing to the smith and promising payment upon his return, Kili dashed out of the yard, horror stories running through his head about the chaos Dis was no doubt inflicting on the poor helpless mother of his offspring

Sprinting quickly, he skidded to a sudden stop in the hall outside Tauriel's chamber. The young dwarrow was flummoxed that he didn't hear any sounds of carnage, but instead laughing. He crept closer to the open doorway, pressing himself against the length of the wall, listening.

"-Hide a snake in Thorin's room, so he hid frogs in theirs. Both of them wet themselves," Dis was saying, laughing with every word. Her deeper laughter was joined by the elf's higher pitched squeal and the click of knitting needles. Kili couldn't believe it. They were actually getting along!

He peaked into the room slyly, trying to make like he hadn't been listening against the door like a common criminal. The two females looked up at him from their knitting and simultaneously burst out in a fit of giggles.

"What?" Kili asked with confusion. All he had done was walk into the room.

"Nothing, darling," returned his mother, her eyes twinkling as they caught the she-elf's.

Coming to sit next to her, the archer noticed there were furrows on Tauriel's face and her hands were massaging her stomach. "Is he moving?" He asked reverently, having become familiar with the signs.

'Aye, he doesn't like being bounced too much and kicked me under the ribs," Tauriel griped, running her hands down her sides.

Dis leaned forward in her chair. "May I?" She asked, eyeing the elf's belly.

"Of course," Tauriel responded, removing her own hands and leaning forward. Kili watched as his mother ran her hands over the red-head's belly, feeling the kicks of her grandchild. Her eyes were wide with wonder and laced with tears threatening to spill over her lashes. A sudden look of knowing passed over her face and she smiled brightly. The younger dwarf knew that look all too well, and he didn't like it.

"What's wrong?" He asked her quietly, earning a look of confusion from the she-elf.

Dis took her hands off of Tauriel and resumed her knitting. "Nothing, dear," She repeated, just like before, a knowing smirk scrawled across her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a well-spent afternoon and a light meal, the pair of dwarves headed home. Dis had wanted Kili to stay, but much to her chagrin, he had stubbornly refused to let her travel alone. The dwarrowdame had found she enjoyed spending time with the elf more than she would have expected. While she didn’t outright hate elves, they had always left a sour taste in her mouth. She had been more than pleasantly surprised to find that her previous inclinations were wrong. Dis found Tauriel to be charming, well-bred, polite and definitely enamored of her son.

She focused on Kili, riding slowly in front of her, swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the beast. The mother had never seen her offspring so happy. She used to dread the day her boys would fall in love and leave her, but now that it had happened to both of them, she found herself adoring it. Seeing her two little boys grow into adults and start families warmed her to the very soul, but also kindled an ache she had not felt in years. The loss of her beloved Gili had never completely mended within her, but raising her children made it easier to bear. Dis would catch glimpses of him in the bright flashes of Fili’s hair, in Kili’s dark expressive eyes. She wondered, with a bittersweet taste in her mouth, which of those traits she would find in her grandchildren.

Dis sighed quietly, thinking of her grandchildren. Frerin had a thatch of dark hair ike Drifa and eyes like his father, although she suspected his eyes would darken into the same brown as hers and Kili’s. She smiled widely, remembering the flutters and kicks from the elf’s belly. The dwarrowdame debated telling them but decided better of it.

“It’ll be a fun surprise,” She murmured to herself.

“Mother?” questioned Kili from in front of her, turning his head, his dark hair flying out behind him.

“Nothing, dear.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in posting. It was a very hard chapter for me to write. 
> 
> Just a warning of graphic gore and blood. 
> 
> Also, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please don't kill me.
> 
> Thank you again for Beng and Berrin96 for helping me with my story!

Kili felt as if he had barely slipped into sleep when suddenly there was a loud banging at the door of his chamber. The dwarrow sluggishly left his bed and slowly opened the door. A harried looking messenger was standing there, looking as if he'd been chased by giant spiders. The brunet yawned and ran his hands through his messy hair. 

"Yes?" he asked politely as the messenger caught his breath. 

"The Lady.... Tauriel..., it's time," he answered simply, bending over and breathing hard. 

“She isn’t supposed to be due for a couple of weeks yet!” the dwarf exclaimed, incredulous. He had planned to move temporarily to Dale when it got closer, but Tauriel had insisted it wasn’t necessary yet. 

Kili jumped into action at once, grabbing his clothing from where it lay strewn about the room. His mother had suggested that he pack in advance, but as usual he hadn't listened to her and was left scrambling. After attempting to put his shirt on as pants, he cursed wildly and noticed a packed rucksack by the door. Dis had done it for him, knowing that her son would put it off and most likely be left in a lurch. 

Thanking Mahal for such a thoughtful mother, the dwarf grabbed the bag and sprinted out of the room. 

~~~~~~

The prince nearly gagged as he ran into the torch-lit chamber because the air was thick with the smell of blood. Tauriel lay sprawled on the bed, her huge stomach straining with its burden. He crossed the room in two steps, throwing himself into the vacant chair at the elf's side. Her normally bright eyes were glazed over and her slender fingers were grasping vainly at the sheets. Kili grabbed her hand, crushing it tightly in his. 

"I'm here, love," he whispered harshly in her ear, stroking the damp strands of her hair back from her sweaty forehead. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied what he took to be the midwife and her assistant preparing their equipment on a side table. They had clearly been there awhile. They eyed him up and down warily, not used to the presence of men in the birthing chamber. 

The she-elf turned her head and a ghost of a smile stole across her dry, cracked lips "It hurts..." she hissed, drawing in another ragged breath. “It hurts so much." 

"I know, my love," he replied, stroking the side of her face. "It'll be over soon," the dwarrow reassured her, even though his blood was singing with fear at seeing the warrior laid so low. 

The guard captain cried out as another strong contraction hit her, squeezing Kili's hand so hard he felt his bones come together. 

 

“You’re going to pay for that," the red-head swore, bearing down and giving a hearty push. 

"I don't doubt it," he chuckled, kissing her lightly on the forehead as he remembered the last time she had uttered those same words to him. Gently taking his hand from hers, the brunet threaded his hand through her damp locks and began to braid her thick hair, right behind her ears, securing the plait with his own clasp. His fingers shook at the effort of keeping his panic smothered. On the inside, he was so terrified he could barely draw breath. The dwarf had heard horror stories of mothers and children lost in childbirth and did not want to even think about the possibility he could lose his Tauriel. Instead, he kept his mind and hands busy. 

~~~~~

Her labor continued for several more hours without any progress. The Dalish midwife and her apprentice had been taking turns sitting at the elf’s side, reassuring her gently, occasionally checking her nether regions for the telltale crowning, clearly hoping that each time would finally lead to some visible progress.

Kili had watched them grow more and more frantic. The waiting time between each check-up lessened. The older midwife had out a mortar and pestle and was crushing various herbs in it. The dwarf watched her intently, concerned as to what she was mixing.

‘What’s in that?” he asked, motioning to the bowl in her hand. She had added hot water to it and brought it towards them. 

“Raspberry leaf, blue cohash, motherwort and valerian,” the midwife replied to him, giving the steaming mug to the elf. “Drink up; you’ll need your strength if we are to welcome your children into the world tonight.” 

What?" the brunet questioned, dumbfounded by her words. "Children? As in more than one?"

The midwife laughed mirthlessly at him as she began to mix a different concoction. “Yes, Master Dwarf, as soon as they’re free, you’ll be the proud father of twins.” 

Kili looked over at Tauriel. “Did you know about this?’ he asked her, completely and utterly stricken. 

Despite her obvious discomfort, she smiled at him, her face drawn and wan. “Not until today,” she answered, her voice little more than a murmur. “I told you there was too much movement for only one child.” The elf sipped cautiously at the tea the midwife had given her, making a disgusted face at the bitter taste of it.   
“Aye, it’s not pleasant tasting,” said the midwife. “But it’ll help. We might as well settle in for a long night.” She once again returned to the elf’s bedside, and began telling her in a soothing voice of her own grown children, taking Tauriel’s hand in her own. 

~~~~

Several more hours went by, the passing of time only marked by the midwife’s application of various unguents and oils to help ease the twins into the world, and her insistence on administering of different teas. The woman had also tried applying cold compresses and massaging the elf’s belly to try and coax the babies out, but nothing seemed to be working. 

Suddenly a sharp stab of pain in Tauriel’s abdomen caught both of their attention, and the room was again filled with the metallic scent of blood. 

"MIDWIFE!" Kili screamed, starting from his chair. "It'll be alright, I promise, it'll be alright…" he said hurriedly in his panic, clutching Tauriel's hand like a lifeline.

The midwife rushed over and busied herself with the elf, who was whimpering in pain. Her knitted eyebrows spoke volumes about the severity of the situation. Kili watched the contortions of the old woman's face as she worked, his heart beating ever faster with terror. 

 

"What's wrong?" the dwarf asked sharply, his eyes flicking over the stricken she-elf. Her skin had gone waxy in appearance and her hand was clammy in his own. 

 

"The babies are in trouble, she’s not opening as she should," she replied in her no nonsense way. "They are struggling… If they are to live-"

Kili's heart nearly stopped cold in his chest. "I-if? What do you mean, if? Of course they will!" he snapped, cutting the midwife off mid-sentence.

The midwife's eyes refused to meet his as she called to her assistant, and the dwarf could feel the cold from his chest consuming the rest of his insides. They had to make it. He had just gotten Tauriel back and he wouldn't let her or their children go without a fight. He watched the midwife intently as she prepared her tools, stroking the back of the elf's hand with his fingers reassuringly. The apprentice moved to Tauriel’s side and put her hands on her shoulder. 

“Master Dwarf, if you will,” she motioned for him to do the same. 

The she-elf shrieked as the midwife pushed a hand inside her, attempting to check whatever was causing the babies’ delayed appearance. Kili swallowed thickly as he held Tauriel down, attempting to be brave for her. He had no experience with childbirth at all. He had no younger siblings, and dwarven children were rare. Fathers and uncles were usually told to wait outside. He had no idea what to expect but this was definitely not it. 

The dwarrow looked into the mid-wife's face as she raised her head up. "We have to get them out now, or we'll lose them,” the old woman said forcefully, flicking her grey eyes back and forth between the terrified parents. Tauriel, ever brave, took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Do what you must," she replied, her voice husky from screaming. Kili saw that her pupils were blown wide with fear and pain and he felt her hands tremble violently in his own. It took him another long second to realize what the exchange had meant. 

"No!" he gushed forcefully. "Don't even think it!" 

"They'll die if she doesn't, Kili," Tauriel snapped back at him, her weak voice cracking. "I won't let my children die!" 

"You could die," he pleaded, the terror plain in the tones of his voice. He couldn't imagine his life without her. The thought shook him to the very core. 

“I- We have to take that risk," she answered him, her voice wavering slightly. Another contraction hit her with full force, doubling her over in pain. Gritting her teeth, the elf turned to the midwife: "Do it!" 

The woman wasted no time and pulled her knife from her belt and called to her assistant for towels. She moved rapidly, positioning herself next to the she-elf’s swollen belly. The younger woman quickly rushed over to help hold the elf down. 

"Look at me! I love you," he whispered to Tauriel, pressing his own damp forehead against hers. He tried to keep the hot tears from falling from his eyes, but couldn't hold them back any longer. "It'll be alright." Kili turned the red-head's face toward him and away from the impending carnage of her abdomen.

Tauriel screamed as the midwife cut into her flesh, the sheets and the bed beneath her becoming sodden with her blood. The hunter could hear it and smell it in the air, and it turned his stomach and broke his heart. He fought to keep the bile from rising in his throat. Kili kissed his love's forehead and spoke gently, whispering loving words to her, trying and failing to keep her attention from the copious amounts of blood pouring from between her thighs and belly. 

Somewhere between her shrieks and the murmurs of the midwives, the dwarf heard the high pitched mewling of a newborn and saw the younger woman cradling a small being to her chest. Another tortured scream quickly drowned it out. His attention turned to the elf, whose normally even breath was quick and shallow. 

"She's losing too much blood!" he yelled at the midwife, whose hands and forearms were slick with it. "Do something!!" 

She looked at him empathetically from under hooded lids for a second and went back to her work. Moments later, she pulled the second baby from her mother's womb and patted her on the back until she began to cry. Kili turned back to Tauriel, her eyes fluttering against her pale cheeks. His fingers sought her face, and found it cold to the touch. 

"DO SOMETHING!! HEAL HER! ANYTHING!" Kili screamed at the woman, who was handing the child to her assistant, and tried to warm the elf's face between his hands. "Please Tauriel, wake up, please..."

"I'm not a wonder-healer, boy,” the midwife said harshly, as she finished stitching down below. “I can't heal her. Her body wasn't made to bear dwarfish twins. All I can do now is make her comfortable and hope for the best. I've tried to stop the bleeding the best I can, but I'm no wizard." 

"It's... alright..." a voice wheezed, causing them both to turn their heads. The dwarrow scooted even closer to the bedside, taking one of Tauriel's cold hands between his. She smiled weakly at him, touching her hand lightly to his tear-stained cheek. "It’s fine, melamin," the elf continued, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"It's not fine," the brunet answered, tears threatening to fall again. "I can't do this without you, I can't live without you, I... I love you," he croaked, his voice muffled by crying. He could not let her go. He still felt he was little more than a child himself. His love for her aside, the prospect of bringing up not one, but two children — all on his own — was beyond terrifying. The dwarf could barely take care of himself, how could he possibly raise two helpless infants?

“I love you too..." she replied, her voice growing ever quieter. Her skin, which was already washed out, grew paler still. “You can... and you will..." She took a labored breath and continued. "Let me see them."

The midwife and her assistant exchanged glances and stepped towards the bed, two bundles cradled in their arms. They handed the twins to Kili before retreating to the doorway, wanting to give the family some privacy before the inevitable. 

Kili looked down at the two bundles in his arms and leaned over, showing them to their mother. "They're beautiful, Taur. They have your ears." 

They looked like the few dwarflings he had seen but with little pointed ears that resembled a hobbit's more than an elf's. The dwarf took a quick peek beneath the blankets. “A boy and a girl," he added hastily, wanting to make each second count. 

 

"They need you, my love," Tauriel murmured gently. Her hand moved carefully, touching each of her children heads in turn. “Gili after your father?" she asked him, lingering on the little boy, his hair red-gold in the torch-light.

"As you wish," Kili whispered back at her.

Her slender hand moved to the smaller baby, caressing her thatch of hair the same color as Kili's. "Alfrun," she sighed, the tenuous strength in her voice dropping even more. Both dwarfish names, he noticed silently.

Tauriel’s hand dropped gently beside her and her voice faded into silence. She looked at him again, smiled and then closed her eyes forever. 

"Don't leave me, Tauriel... Please… Please..." Kili pleaded. "Please, wake up... please," he sobbed, his tears soon joined by the kittenish cries of his now-motherless children. The dwarf’s tears fell on the babies. He felt as if his world was crumbling around him. He wanted so badly to give up and just let the darkness take him. It was so tempting. 

And then he remembered his mother. Her One had died when he had barely begun to grow in her belly. It would have been so easy for her to just give in but she never did. She put him and Fili before her own needs and raised them despite her heartache. 

It was time for him to do the same.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry everyone. Your comments really broke my heart. 
> 
> This is the final chapter of this story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> My next work will be a kind of continuation of this one ( a series if you will) about Fili and Kili and the troubles of fatherhood. IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR THIS STORY, PLEASE SHOOT ME A MESSAGE!! I want to know what you want to see!
> 
> Please subscribe if you want updates!
> 
> Thank you again to my wonderful wonderful betas Beng and Berrin96 for all their hard work and comforting words on this story. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading!

A week flashed by for Kili. He had tried to leave Dale the moment first light dawned but the King had insisted he stayed put for the time being. He had wanted to take Tauriel back to his home in Erebor and make sure she was interred properly, but Bard was having none of it. Elves, he'd reasoned, are not laid in stone. They laid her to rest under the trees as close to her kin as was possible without upsetting Thranduil. 

Kili had not attended, couldn't stomach putting his beloved in wet earth. Instead he was left to sort through the physical reminders that she had existed. 

He sat in Tauriel's room, going through her belongings wearily. It had pained him to even enter but Bard had insisted he take mementos for the children. It had mostly been a way to calm him down after the new captain of the guards questioned whether Alfrun and Gili were even his. The dwarrow had tried to keep his composure, but the very insinuation about the elf's character had earned the man a broken nose. 

He packed in almost complete silence, stopping at the occasional gurgle of the babies. Kili would not let them out of his sight for fear somebody would try and take them. For living more than six hundred years, Tauriel didn't have much, books mostly and some knick-knacks here and there. Books of elvish poetry he kept, even though he couldn't read them. It made him feel more at peace, his fingers touching the pages hers had once warmed. Other things he gave away as mementos, for the king's daughters and his son to remember her by. The girls had been a help in the recent days, teaching him how to properly feed and change a baby. 

 

Kili had just about finished packing her belongings when he heard a light footstep behind him. Turning, he spotted the prince of Mirkwood standing over one of the cradles. The dwarf leapt up, knocking whatever was in his lap to the floor with a loud clatter. Legolas turned towards him, his clear blue eyes rimmed in red as if he'd been crying. 

"Get away from my son," Kili snarled, closing the distance between himself and the elf prince in a matter of seconds. The blond said nothing, and turned back to the cradle, running his fingers lightly over Gili's pointed little ears. 

"I said GET AWAY!" The brunet put a hand on the elf's chest, putting himself between Legolas and his offspring. He was in no mood for the intrusion and he had no fondness for Thranduil's son. Tauriel had told him everything that the blond said to her and he knew how upset those words had made her. 

"She’s DEAD because of you!" the elf snapped, clutching the dwarf by the front of his shirt. Kili grabbed at his hands, trying to loosen the elf’s tight grasp on him desperately. The prince raised him off the ground, so his toes barely touched the floor. 

"You think I don't know that?” the brunet barked back at him, the force of his anger channeling into his voice. "You think if I knew this would happen I wouldn't go back and change it? I would give anything to be able to do that!" 

Kili struggled against the elf, attempting to get him to let go, but his efforts were in vain. Despite Kili’s weight, the elf didn’t seem to tire of holding him up in the air. 

Legolas' lips snarled, revealing his clenched teeth. "Her children should be raised by their own kind, not a dirty mongrel like you." 

"They will be raised by their own kind, in Erebor," Kili answered the blond forcefully, attempting once more to make the elf release him..

"I'm sure your uncle will love that," the elf taunted back, cocking his head to one side and smiling wolfishly at him. Kili could feel the blond’s fingers tightening against his throat as if itching to strangle him. 

"No more than I'm sure your father would!" Kili shot back. He would never let the twins be raised by the very people who had abandoned their mother. Thinking quickly, he flailed out, kicking the blond straight in the shins. Legolas' grasp on him loosened and he dropped to the floor. Legolas bent over, clutching his shin, and the dwarf grabbed him roughly by his hair. 

"If you ever come near my children again, I will kill you with my bare hands."  
~~~~

After another sleepless night, Fili squinted into the late morning light. He was not far from the mountain, hunting and trying to fend off the sense of concern that had been growing in his gut since his brother had raced off in the middle of the night. His mother had gotten a simple note from Kili telling her not to worry and that he would be home soon, but a week had gone by now with no a word from his brother. The prince was beginning to worry that something had gone terribly wrong. 

Glancing towards the horizon, he glimpsed a lone figure with a pony trailing slowly behind it. Fili galloped hurriedly toward it, knowing it to be his brother. He came into focus as the blond got closer, his head hung, looking pale and gaunt. 

Fili dismounted when he got closer. It was strange to see his brother leading the pony rather than riding, but as soon as he saw the pony he understood why. There were two baskets carefully tied to the pony's sides. He stopped walking as his brother approached. 

"Kili..?" he said tentatively, preparing himself for the usual angry outburst. 

The brunet looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. For the first time in months, there was no anger in his eyes, only sadness. 

"Fee..." Kili croaked and, closing the distance between them, crumpled into his brother's arms. The older dwarf instinctively closed his arms around him, pulling him close to his chest. 

"I'm sorry, Fee" the archer whimpered suddenly, his voice muffled in the layers of Fili's clothing. "I'm so sorry." 

Fili could feel his brother's tears soaking through his shirt. He pulled him back a bit and looked into his swollen eyes.

"There's nothing to apologize for. I deserved it. What's wrong, Kee?" The blond hadn't seen his brother like this since he was a child. Panic began swelling rapidly in his stomach. Something must have gone terribly wrong, for Kili to be reduced to this state. 

Kili curled up against him again, burrowing into the front of his shirt. "She's dead. I killed her. It's all my fault," he sobbed, his shoulders heaving in the older dwarf’s embrace. 

His confession sent Fili's mind reeling. Kili killed the elf? "What are you talking about?"

The brunet looked up at him again, the sorrow written clearly on his face. "She died. She's dead because of me. The babies... the blood, Fee... the blood…" He dissolved into tears again, clasping his brother for dear life. That's when he heard it, the faint crying coming from the baskets. Everything suddenly made sense. 

Fili pulled his little brother tight against him, burying nose in his dark hair. "Oh, Kee, I'm so sorry." He could not even imagine what his brother was going through. The loss of their One sometimes killed dwarves, they simply wasted away of a broken heart. The blond knew from his talks with Thorin that his mother would have died when his father did if not for him and his brother. He would not let it happen to Kili. He held the brunet tightly against him, rubbing his back warmly as he used to when they were children, until Kili was too exhausted to cry anymore. 

When Kili finally looked up at him, the blond smiled at him and ran his hand over his cheek, clearing the remaining tears. "Let's get them inside, shall we?"

 

~~~~~~~~

 

The halls of Erebor were dark and silent as the King crept secretly down the corridors. It felt wrong to be sneaking around his own kingdom, but he had no wish to be seen where he was going. Thorin slipped quietly into the nursery, hoping to have a look at his younger nephew's children. All three children were sleeping peacefully, swaddled down in their blankets. Until they could find a suitable area for the twins, they were put in Frerin’s nursery, with Kili temporarily lodged in the room next door. Thorin approached carefully, looming gently over the first cradle. 

The King Under the Mountain was immediately taken aback by how similar to his nephew the little boy looked. Gili, as he had been named, had Kili's nose and his eyes. Thorin's fingers wandered, rubbing them lightly through the dwarfling's fine hair. He noted the slightly pointed ears and the downy fuzz covering his body. He had been wrong in his assumptions about the children's paternity. Alfrun began to cry noisily in her bed. Walking to the next cot, he noted the girl child, precious in her gender among his people. She was smaller than her brother, and already looked to have their father's dark locks and large, expressive eyes. The king bent and picked up the baby. She looked so much like Dis at this age, he couldn't help himself. 

He brought the babe to his chest, marveling at how tiny she was. His sister had been this small when she had been laid in his arms for the first time. Their father had called him and Frerin in to meet her. He had been fourteen years old, Frerin only nine. Thorin began to sing as he thought, his deep rich voice filling the quiet air of the chamber. The dwarrow vividly remembered holding his nephews like this, sleep deprived and pacing their nursery, willing them to go back to sleep.

Fili had been a rough baby, up every two hours to be fed, jaundiced and colicky. Kili had been the easier of the two, sleeping through most of the night, content to be held and rocked. He was a nightmare as a toddler though, constantly tagging after his brother and getting into trouble. Thorin believed that Kili acquired more scrapes and bruises as a child than he, Frerin and Dis combined. He smiled despite himself, remembering his nephews before he'd turned them into warriors and broken Kili’s heart. 

"Thorin?" called a voice from the door. He abruptly stopped singing, embarrassed at being caught. 

'Damnation' he thought to himself, turning to find Dis in the door, wearing a knowing look on her face. 

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist" she accused him softly, smiling at him in her infuriating way. The dwarrowdame gazed down lovingly at the child in his arms. He scowled deeply at her. 

"You're not fooling anyone, brother mine," she taunted him good-naturedly, taking the now sleeping baby from him. Dis brought Alfrun to her shoulder, rubbing the child's back. Thorin watched her, just as comfortable in her role as grandmother as she had been as a mother. 

"How is he, Dis?" the king asked her sheepishly. As upset as he had been at Kili, he was worried about him. Losing someone you loved was never easy, but losing someone you love and becoming a parent on top of that was even harder. 

The dwarrowdame sighed as she continued to rock the baby. "He's exhausted, Thorin. He's heartsick, and overwhelmed. Despite what you think, he loved her, and he blames himself. Can you imagine feeling responsible for the death of the person you love most in this world?"

"Blames himself? Why? He didn’t kill her,” Thorin replied, running his hands through his hair. As much as he didn't like the idea of his nephew loving the elf, it was clear from Kili’s reaction to his words that he did. Thinking he was somehow liable for her death must be devastating for Kili. 

"The way he sees it, he's the reason she was exiled. If she had been in Mirkwood, with access to healers, she wouldn't have died, not to mention that he got her pregnant to begin with," Dis returned sadly. Her son was an emotional wreck by the time she had seen him. She had promptly taken care of the twins and put him to bed, but not before he had recounted the whole horrific affair. 

"If she had been in Mirkwood, they would be dead, Dis. Or hostages," Thorin answered reasonably. The King wouldn't put it past Thranduil to kill children, especially those who belonged to the line of Durin. "It's not his fault. He'll realize that with time."

"I know. I blamed myself when Gili died. I thought I should have tried to keep him home that day..." Her voice dropped slowly into nothing. Turning, the dwarrowdame returned the now sleeping little girl to her cradle only to find that both boys had started crying. Dis sighed heavily. "Grab Gili, would you? It looks like it's going to be a rough night.” She turned to release Frerin from his swaddling clothes and drew him into her arms. 

 

Thorin contemplated the room in front of him, the three cradles with three little dwarflings. “With these three, I have a feeling we are going to have a lot more than a rough night." 

~~~~~~~

 

It took Kili a couple of weeks to get back into the swing of things. He was extremely grateful for his mother in those days, getting up in the middle of the night to help feed the twins, teaching him all that she knew, keeping the rest of his family away. It was Dis who procured him the two adjoining chambers that would become his new quarters and nursery. They were on the far end of the royal wing and closer to Fili than he was before. The rooms were smaller but, with the attached nursery, they were perfect for him. 

 

The first thing he set about doing was painting. The dwarf had intended to just make the room a little brighter but his project soon spiraled out of control. Blurs of color became scenery, and scenery became the story of his and Tauriel’s journey. 

 

He started at Ered Luin where he and Fili had been born. He painted their little red house and the large tree that grew outside the kitchen window. Kili used to hide in that tree whenever he didn't want to do what his mother had asked. He painted the bustling market close to their house and the little stream that ran behind it. Dis helped him remember the details he was too young to recall and added touches of her own: Gili with his pipe outside the house, his golden hair in its usual braids. 

 

As the days passed and his heartache lessned, the story kept growing. The next scene was Bag End with its great green door, complete with the dwarfish rune and the solid brass knob. Bilbo helped him add his garden with its carefully tended rows and prize- winning tomatoes. The hobbit painted Hobbiton and the Brandywine. He added the party tree and a tall grey wizard with a cart packed to the brim with fireworks. While they painted, he told Kili about his mother Belladonna and his father, Bungo. He told him about losing them and how hard it had been for him to pick up the pieces and move on. They were both crying by the time they finished. 

 

Ori, with his precise scribe's fingers helped Kili paint Rivendell with its stunning foliage and decorated arches. The red-head had scoured the library until he found a book with a picture of the eleven- kingdom. With Fili scowling behind them, they added Lord Elrond and the feasting chamber where they had had their food fight. Fili insisted on adding the games that had ensued in the fountain, his laughter entangling with the babies’ gurgles, filling up the chamber with joy. 

 

Next, with his brother's help, he painted the skin- changer, first as a bear, then as a man with his giant bees. He drew Beorn's land and the Carrock. Fili wanted to add the goblins, but the brunet deemed them too scary for a nursery. He did, however, add the Eagles, complete with little dwarves on their backs. The blond also went back and added the trolls and their horde, forever frozen in time, defeated by the quick wit of a hobbit. He also provided his own touches to Kili’s previous scenes, adding a tiny child figures of himself and Kili to the Ered Luin scene, with a cast on the younger dwarf’s arm from where he’d broken it falling out of the tree in their yard. 

 

The next part, Kili did without assistance. With a heavy heart, he painted Mirkwood with its tall strange trees and deep shadows. The brunet added what he remembered of Thranduil's domain, even though it pained him to relive those memories. The river that flowed under the tiny painted kingdom was heavy with barrels full of tiny painted dwarves. He added elves and spider's eyes in the shadows of the trees and Bilbo's gorgeous blue butterflies in the treetops. 

 

Bofur helped him with Laketown, his clever toymaker's hands deftly filling in the little details. They painted Bard with his big longbow, shooting his black arrow into the sky. They painted the shining lake, reflecting the desolate, rickety boats and worn out people. Finally, the older dwarrow added Smaug in all his terrible glory, gliding towards Bard, his scales shimmering, his great mouth filled with fire.

 

Lastly, Kili added Erebor, with its great statues and towering peeks. With white paint, he carefully painted the secret door. He drew the Company, each dwarf only recognizable by the color of their beards and hoods. The dwarrow added the ruins of Dale not far from the mountain and the fields where he and Tauriel had spent their free time during those few happy months. His hands shook as he attempted to capture himself and the elf at one of their picnics. As he gazed at his own work, he decided to paint over them because something felt inexplicably wrong about it. 

 

After much debate and a little ingenuity, Kili, lying on his back, painted the ceiling of the chamber in rich dark blue. Bit by bit, with luminous yellow paint, he added the constellations as they were if one were to observe them in the night sky. He painted the fire-moon that he had told Tauriel about the first time he met her, low and red in the sky. Finally, he painted himself and Tauriel, perched in one of the great trees he had painted, looking forever upwards. Gazing at the ceiling, Kili smiled for the first time in months, thinking about how much his elf would love to see this. She loved the stars, and he would make sure their children would never forget that. Even in the depths of the mountain, they would always walk in starlight.


End file.
